


Ties That Bind

by abs2891



Series: Masks AU [4]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Firefighters, Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Angst, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Romance, Slight!MinseokXLuhan, also deals with family exiling member bc of sexuality, mentions of depressions and suicide, mentions of domestic abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 16:27:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14024127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abs2891/pseuds/abs2891
Summary: Another story detailing the emotionally tumultuous relationship between Baekhyun, a retired stripper now working at a broadcast company and Chanyeol, the fireman that stole his heart, or was it the other way around? [Sequel to Mine]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Story contains briefs mentions of suicidal thoughts/depression and domestic/sexual abuse.

The question comes when Chanyeol least expects it, a month and a half after they started dating, two weeks after Baekhyun sucked Chanyeol off for the first time, and one week after he rejects Chanyeol's attempt to do the same, pushing Chanyeol back while muttering something about it being good for him to practice self-restraint.

Chanyeol disagrees whole heartedly with Baekhyun on that point.  He really does, and the fact that he has yet to see Baekhyun fully naked while aroused probably only serves to increase his surprise when over dinner Baekhyun casually says, “Chanyeol, how much do you pay in rent?”

The tone is nonchalant, making the question seem as innocent as Baekhyun's expression as he says it.

Chanyeol knows it's not.  He can read right through the lines and straight to the heart of what Baekhyun isn't asking as he eats another bite of kimchi jjigae while waiting for Chanyeol’s response.

Chanyeol picks that out carefully.  Baekhyun no doubt thought a long time about asking his question.  It's only fair that Chanyeol puts an equal amount of thought into answering it as well.

“My rent is partially subsidized by the fire department so it’s pretty low, but it's a bit like living in a shoe box.”  He finally says with a small, rueful smile.

Really the studio apartment he is in barely contains him.  There is a reason, beyond enjoying Baekhyun's company, that Chanyeol visits as often as possible.  When he's at home, Chanyeol sleeps with a foot dangling off his bed and a hand practically in his kitchen, if you could even call it that.  Alternatively, at Baekhyun’s, there are rooms, actual divided rooms, and the added benefit of someone to share them with.  Chanyeol has always enjoyed the company of other people, Baekhyun’s most of all.

Now, across from him, Baekhyun's brow furrows as he considers Chanyeol's response.  Chanyeol can't blame him.  His answer is both a rejection and an acceptance of Baekhyun's unspoken proposal.

Why?

Because Chanyeol is still deciding what his actual answer should be.

Eventually Baekhyun's furrowed brow smooths and he reaches out to grab a piece of kimchi as he flicks his eyes to Chanyeol's face.  “Why is your mail coming here?”  He asks, pulling back with a casually curious expression as Chanyeol flushes.

He changed his mailing address last week after his current place reamed him out for having too many packages to pick up behind the front desk.  It just seemed… easier.  He was at Baekhyun's place more often than his own anyways.  He might as well get his mail there.

It's only as Baekhyun continues to stare at him with mild curiosity that Chanyeol fully processes what the change means, or well, what it could mean.  He had thought Baekhyun was firing the first shots in deciding whether they should live together.  In actuality he had fired them a week before without even realizing it.

_Oops._

Chanyeol is silent as Baekhyun eats a couple more bites while studying his face.  He doesn't really know what to say, and he has found in those instances that if he waits long enough, Baekhyun will usually help him figure it out, one way or another.

Finally, Baekhyun puts down his chopsticks and stands up from the table, walking around to Chanyeol’s side and reaching out his fingers to hook under Chanyeol's chin.

“You did it without even thinking about it, didn't you?”  He murmurs, turning Chanyeol's face up towards him, expression unreadable.

Chanyeol lets out a shaky breath and nods his head.  “Yeah,” he murmurs, eyes flicking around Baekhyun's face, looking for a clue as to what Baekhyun thinks about this admission.

Baekhyun just stands there for a couples seconds, expression nonplussed, before he leans forward suddenly, connecting Chanyeol's lips with his.  It's a light peck, almost like one of those “just because” kisses Chanyeol has come to cherish, but there's something more behind it, something in the way Baekhyun lingers that lets Chanyeol know that there's a bit more to it as Baekhyun pulls away, a small tender smile on his face.

“I love you.”  He murmurs, fingers still curled under Chanyeol’s chin, preventing Chanyeol’s mouth from falling open as his eyes widen.  Baekhyun hasn’t said that before.  Sure, Chanyeol already techincally knew that Baekhyun loved him, but still, he hasn’t said it before.  He hasn’t, and hearing it is entirely different from just knowing it.

Chanyeol turns in his chair, making it so his body is facing Baekhyun head on as he finds his eyes, voice soft due to disbelief.  “What?”  He asks, hoping Baekhyun will humor him and say it again despite the fact that it must be clear that Chanyeol heard every word.

Baekhyun smiles down at him as his hand moves from Chanyeol’s chin to his cheek, cupping it gently.  “I love you.”  Baekhyun repeats, smile widening into an affectionate smirk.  “You can be a clueless idiot sometimes, but I love you.”  He murmurs, kissing the tip of Chanyeol’s nose before pulling back, smirk still in place.

Chanyeol starts as he lets out a hesitant laugh, unsure how to respond to that.  “Oh, um…”  Chanyeol’s voice trails off as he finds himself lost in the amused twinkle in Baekhyun’s eyes.  After a couple seconds, he leans down and lightly pecks Chanyeol’s lips again, still smiling.

“This is when you say it back.”  He murmurs as he pulls away, lips brushing past Chanyeol’s own.

_Oh.  Of course._

Chanyeol lets out a small sound of surprise before raising one of his hands up to Baekhyun’s face.  “I love you too.”  He murmurs, watching as the smile on Baekhyun’s face becomes a bit wider even as he steps away slightly so that they are back to being eye to eye.

“Better.”  He says with a satisfied nod.  “Now, since your mail is already coming here, how long before the rest of it follows?”  He asks, still smiling while speaking with a tone that is distinctly light and cheerful.  Non-pressuring.  Baekhyun is clearly willing to wait for Chanyeol to make his decision.  He just perhaps wants a bit more warning than what Chanyeol has provided (none) with every other decision he has made.  (I.e. Listing Baekhyun as his emergency contact and changing his mailing address.)

Chanyeol takes a breath as he lets his hand drop down to squeeze Baekhyun’s own.  “My lease is up in two more months.”  He murmurs, blushing slightly as he thinks over telling his current landlord that he doesn’t need to renew.

Baekhyun smiles back at Chanyeol warmly, squeezing his hand in kind.  “Okay.  That sounds like a plan to me then.”  He says before dropping Chanyeol’s hand and returning to his side of the table to continue their dinner.

Chanyeol dislikes the loss of contact and somewhat impulsively decides to reach out one of his feet to brush along the side of Baekhyun’s calf.

Baekhyun doesn’t stop him.

He just smiles and eats instead.

\---

Baekhyun cooked dinner, so it falls to Chanyeol to wash the dishes.  He is doing the job rather diligently when Baekhyun reemerges from his bedroom, hair damp from his evening shower.  He’s in a pair of shorts that are his, knee length and black, but the shirt is definitely Chanyeol’s, navy blue and emblazoned with the fire department’s logo.

Chanyeol smiles to himself as he notes the way the shirt hangs off center on Baekhyun’s shoulders, revealing one of Baekhyun’s collarbones while the hem goes several inches past his waist.  It makes Baekhyun look extra cuddly, and Chanyeol wishes he could take advantage of it, but, he has a shift to work that night, and so, he redirects his attention towards the sink while silently promising to cuddle Baekhyun to death once he gets home in the morning.

Baekhyun seems to be on the same page, for a while.  He takes his time making a glass of water and drinking it before he decides to let Chanyeol know he is not, arms slipping around Chanyeol’s hips as he molds himself to Chanyeol’s back, kissing along his spine.

“I have work.” Chanyeol groans as Baekhyun’s hands slip under his shirt, pressing against his skin, playing at the edge of his sweats.

“And you have an hour before you need to leave.”  Baekhyun murmurs, going up on his toes to whisper in Chanyeol’s ear.  “We just agreed to live together, let me celebrate.”  He says, catching Chanyeol’s ear in his teeth once he is done, pulling gently.

Chanyeol gasps, and then shudders beneath him, his hands pulling out of the sink to grab Baekhyun’s wrists, preventing him from slipping his hands past the waistband they are currently toying with.  “Where?”  He asks, already sounding a touch breathless.

Baekhyun chuckles softly, pressing tighter against Chanyeol, making Chanyeol groan as he realizes Baekhyun is already rock hard in his shorts.  He really hopes that he can at least fix that, even if he can’t see it.  The fact that Baekhyun rocks against him a couple times, quiet moans passing his lips, makes Chanyeol feel like that very well may be a possibility even before Baekhyun pulls back to offer Chanyeol a hand.

“Follow me.”  He orders softly, tugging Chanyeol out of the kitchen and towards the couch.

The couch is a good spot.  They’ve both come together on the couch before so Chanyeol knows how this works, and as Baekhyun presses Chanyeol down onto the cushions before climbing on top of him, quickly straddling his hips, Chanyeol is certain they’ll both be coming again.  That’s the only possible conclusion once Baekhyun’s knees hit the back of the couch, pressing himself as close as he can to Chanyeol while a tremor ripples through his form.

Chanyeol lowers his hands down, squeezing Baekhyun’s hips as he kisses from his jawline to his neck, nibbling against the milky skin of Baekhyun’s exposed collarbone as his head tilts back with a moan.  “Lower.”  He groans, and Chanyeol obliges, hands dropping down to squeeze into the flesh of Baekhyun’s ass, pulling him impossibly closer as Baekhyun moans his approval above Chanyeol’s shoulder before panting into his ear.  “More.”

Chanyeol can feel Baekhyun hard and tight, pressed against his stomach as the building heat in Chanyeol’s own groin bulges beneath Baekhyun’s ass cheeks, pressing up against them.  Baekhyun moans again before grinding down, and Chanyeol’s hips instantly buck up, meeting him and forcing Baekhyun to slide against him.

“Fuck,” Baekhyun swears, shifting slightly in Chanyeol’s lap, maneuvering so that the next time he presses down, Chanyeol slips directly between his cheeks, making Chanyeol stifle a moan with another bite against Baekhyun’s skin as Baekhyun starts to rock against him in earnest, riding Chanyeol’s cock with the aid of Chanyeol’s hands still clenched into the flesh of his ass, which help to bounce him in place and keep him close.

When his pace becomes slightly more jerky, Chanyeol adds more force, keeping Baekhyun near as he starts to thrust up again, making Baekhyun let out startled gasps and whines as his fingernails dig into the skin of Chanyeol’s shoulders.

“Please Yeol, please.”  He pants, and Chanyeol knows what to do when Baekhyun says that, releasing his grip on one of Baekhyun’s ass cheeks to dip his fingers into the cleft, massaging roughly as Baekhyun keens, trying to press back against Chanyeol’s hand while simultaneously finding his cock crushed between Chanyeol and his own stomach.  It takes mere seconds for him come, fingernails digging into Chanyeol’s skin to the point that it is almost painful as he bounces through his orgasm on Chanyeol’s lap, finally settling against him while breathing in short little pants as his heart pounds in his chest.

He is still for only a second though.  Then, he is sliding back the barest of fractions so that he can slide a hand down Chanyeol’s chest and press it against his cock, expertly palming Chanyeol through his sweats in a rhythm that quickly finishes what Baekhyun’s hips started as Chanyeol’s eyes snap closed while he momentarily sees nothing but white.  Baekhyun strokes him straight through his orgasm, milking out more as Chanyeol’s hips sputter and jerk with restricted motions, Baekhyun’s weight against his thighs partially holding him in place.

Finally, after one final stroke, it ends, and now, Chanyeol’s heartbeat is equally rapid as Baekhyun slides back forward, turning his head to the side against Chanyeol’s chest as he listens to the sound of it.  Chanyeol’s own arms wrap back around Baekhyun’s waist and pull him even closer so that he can lean down and kiss around his forehead and hair until Baekhyun finally looks up and Chanyeol kisses his lips instead.

As they pull back, the alarm on Chanyeol’s phone goes off, and they both jump before Baekhyun laughs and slowly climbs off of Chanyeol’s chest.  “See,” he says, holding out a hand to help Chanyeol up, “We had plenty of time.”

Chanyeol chuckles as he accepts Baekhyun’s proffered hand.  “Speak for yourself.”  He murmurs glancing down at the obvious stain now tarnishing his sweats.  He needs to change his clothes, and fast.

Baekhyun laughs again at Chanyeol’s disgruntled expression before reaching up to his shoulders and turning him towards his bedroom.  “They’re already on the bed.”  He says, one of his hands dropping from Chanyeol’s shoulders to slap his ass as Chanyeol takes his first step towards the bedroom with a laugh and a “I can’t believe you,” on his lips.

Chanyeol makes a silent promise to get Baekhyun back for that later as he enters the bedroom and discards his sullied sweats and boxer briefs while grabbing the new set neatly laid out on the bed.  A quick trip to the bathroom later, and he is clean and ready to go.  Baekhyun is waiting at the door, a smile on his face and Chanyeol’s sweatshirt, wallet and phone in his hands.

“Stay safe.”  He says with a small smile, reaching up to smooth Chanyeol’s hair as he pulls on his sweatshirt and slips on his shoes.

Chanyeol nods once with a smile, leaning down to kiss Baekhyun’s lips lightly.  “Always,” he promises, and then he turns to head out the door.  The station isn’t that far from Baekhyun’s house, and so, Chanyeol opts to just powerwalk his way over rather than risk finding out if the train is running with delays.

It is that decision that proves his undoing as it means that when his mom calls, Chanyeol answers, and after they exchange the usual pleasantries, she asks a question that Chanyeol really could have used more time to think about the answer to.

“Why didn’t I have to come sign you out?”  She asks after first nagging at him for not telling her about his brief admittance to the hospital a few weeks ago.  She had heard about it through the grapevine instead, the chief of Chanyeol’s department passing it along to Chanyeol’s dad, who used to be the head of the regional precinct where Chanyeol grew up before he and his mom went into the restaurant business instead.

The reason Chanyeol could have used a bit more time is because, if he had, had time, he would have realized that his near instantaneous response of, “Oh, I had Baekhyun do it,” was not a wise thing to say to his mother.

However, Chanyeol does not have time, and so he says it, and it is only after a brief, momentary pause that Chanyeol realizes what he has just done as his mother’s puzzled voice echoes through the phone.  “Who is Baekhyun?”

Despite being told repeatedly not to, Chanyeol bites his lip.

_Shit._

Now what?

\---

A few days later, it doesn’t take Baekhyun long to realize Chanyeol wants to ask him something.

They are sitting together on the couch watching television, and every couple of minutes, Chanyeol fidgets, his mouth opening before closing again with a soft sigh as he turns and kisses Baekhyun’s shoulder, or neck, or cheek, or, basically anywhere his lips can reach really.  Baekhyun lets him do it, waiting.  Whatever Chanyeol has to say, he’ll manage it eventually if Baekhyun is patient enough, and Chanyeol’s stalling method, kissing Baekhyun everywhere, is one Baekhyun really doesn’t mind.

He shimmies a bit closer to Chanyeol and takes up one of his hands in his grasp, flipping it over and tracing the lines of Chanyeol’s palm as he waits.  Finally, as the end credits for their current episode of NCIS run, Chanyeol’s fingers curl in on his palm, trapping Baekhyun’s own, and Baekhyun knows Chanyeol has decided to say whatever it is he’s been trying to say for the past hour.

He turns up to look at him as Chanyeol lets out another heavy sigh, adjusting their hands’ grip on one another until their fingers are linked.  “What is it?”  Baekhyun asks, leaning up to kiss the underside of Chanyeol’s jaw when it tightens into a small grimace.

Chanyeol’s face relaxes as Baekhyun pulls away, returning the squeeze Baekhyun is currently lavishing upon his hand.  “Baek,” he murmurs, voice soft, “where do your parents live?”

Baekhyun stiffens.  This is not something he wants to talk about.  Ever.  He hopes Chanyeol’s sudden interest is a passing one as he whispers out an honest response.  “A couple of hours from here.”

Chanyeol’s brow furrows slightly, and Baekhyun can see the wheels turning in his head.  He can see the questions he doesn’t want to answer.  Chanyeol asks them anyways.

“Do you ever visit them?”

Baekhyun winces before he shakes his head, voice low and trembling.  “No.”  He whispers as he considers how mature it would be to get up from Chanyeol’s lap and leave the room just so that he doesn’t have to relive the explanation Chanyeol’s about to request.  In the end, he can’t even try because Chanyeol’s arms are already moving to hold him in place, tugging Baekhyun to his chest.        

“Baekhyun?”  He questions, voice hesitant and soft.  He says nothing else, and he knows, Baekhyun knows, that Chanyeol will let him say nothing.  He knows Chanyeol isn’t going to continue to press him for details, but Baekhyun also knows that he is going to have to tell Chanyeol this at some point, so, he takes a breath, turns his head to the side against Chanyeol’s chest, and whispers quietly into the night air.

“They kicked me out at eighteen.  Other than stopping by every once in a while to see if I've ‘changed’, they act like I don't exist, except for my brother, but there is only so much he can do when our parents and his in-laws don't approve.”  He turns his face back into Chanyeol’s chest once he is done, well aware of how Chanyeol’s grip has slackened as he spoke.  It takes a couple seconds, but eventually Chanyeol recovers.  When he does, his grip is twice as strong as it was before.

“I’m—“

Baekhyun pushes away from Chanyeol’s chest and places a hand over his mouth to prevent him from finishing, shaking his head slightly before reaching up to press at Chanyeol’s furrowed brow.  “Don't look so worried,” he says, trying to smile while knowing he’s probably failing.  “You'll give yourself wrinkles.”  He teases, continuing to press against Chanyeol’s skin with a somewhat joyless laugh.

Chanyeol lets his brow be smoothed down after a couple seconds, but his expression is no less concerned, and Baekhyun sighs softly before leaning forward to peck Chanyeol’s lips.  “It's something I've come to terms with a long time ago,” He says, which is a lie, but it’s almost true.

Baekhyun wishes it simply were true.

Chanyeol doesn’t look convinced, but Baekhyun doesn’t have much else left to say to try to change that.  Instead, he decides to change the subject.  It really is the only alternative.  “Why the sudden interest though, if you don't mind me asking?”  He asks, tilting his head to the side as one of Chanyeol’s hands reaches up to cup his cheek.

“My mother called the other day.”  Chanyeol whispers as Baekhyun’s eyes fall closed, enjoying the weight of Chanyeol’s palm against his face, warm and comforting.  “I mentioned you.”

Baekhyun’s eyes snap back open in shock.  “Chanyeol!” he gasps in a whisper, simultaneously surprised and horrified.

Chanyeol flushes.  “Yeah…” he murmurs, voice trailing off for a second as he glances off to the side before redirecting his attention to Baekhyun’s face, speaking in hushed and rushed undertones.  “They already knew.  They probably knew before I did honestly, and they’ve been great about it.  I know they’ve gone behind my back to make sure none of my other relatives say anything to me.  I… I owe them so much honestly.”

Baekhyun blinks in confusion, not understanding Chanyeol’s sudden rant.  “Chanyeol, why are you telling me this?”  He asks, hoping for clarification as Chanyeol’s hand that is not on his face starts to run up and down his spine in a clear attempt to soothe.

Baekhyun allows the motion to work, relaxing slightly in Chanyeol’s grasp.  Then, Chanyeol speaks, and Baekhyun’s tension returns in a heartbeat.

“My mom wants to meet you.”

“What?”  Baekhyun exclaims, pulling away from Chanyeol’s arms and sliding down the couch slightly while staring at him like he has just sprouted a second head.  Chanyeol doesn’t follow after, although his hands linger in the air of the space between them.

“My dad and sister too.”  He whispers, and Baekhyun groans, both of his hands raising to drag down his face.

“Oh my god.  Did you say yes?”  He asks while looking at Chanyeol through the gaps between his fingers.

Chanyeol shakes his head.  “I said I'd talk to you about it.”  He bites his lip.  “You don't have to say yes,” he continues, tone of voice reassuring and soft, “They'll understand.  Especially if I explain—“

Baekhyun raises a hand into the air, cutting Chanyeol off before sliding forward on the couch to gently pull Chanyeol’s lip out from where it has returned to between his teeth with his thumb on Chanyeol’s chin.  “No, no, I'll go.”  Baekhyun whispers while hoping that he isn't making a horrible mistake.

“Baekhyun.”  Chanyeol whispers, voice rife with concern as Baekhyun feels a small tremor of anxiety ripple through him.

What if Chanyeol's parents hate him?

What if they could tolerate their son’s gayness only because he had no one else he was sharing it with?

What if they start to hate Chanyeol, just because of him?

Chanyeol's lips pressed to his brow break Baekhyun out of his sickening reverie, and when he pulls back, it's only barest of margins.  Therefore, Baekhyun can't see Chanyeol's eyes when he whispers against his skin.  “Are you sure?”

Baekhyun groans, hands wrapping around Chanyeol's back to twist into his shirt.  “No...  Yes… I don't know.” He whines, darting his head to side so that he can grind his forehead into Chanyeol's shoulder in an attempt to placate his sudden distress.

After a couple seconds, Chanyeol starts to stroke his hair as his chest vibrates, which has Baekhyun confused until he realizes that Chanyeol isn't trembling, he's laughing, as quietly as he can manage.

“What’s so funny about this?”  Baekhyun pouts, pulling back to look Chanyeol in the eye.

He shakes his head at first, struggling to reign himself in, but eventually he squeezes Baekhyun to him with another soft chuckle as he presses his lips to Baekhyun's cheek.  “You're cute.”  He whispers, pulling back to look Baekhyun in the eye.  “They’re my parents Baek.  They love me, and I love you, so they'll love you.  I guarantee it.”

Baekhyun blinks before letting out a small, slightly harsh laugh of his own.  “I sure hope you're right about that,” he mumbles quietly as he looks down, breaking eye-contact.

Chanyeol lowers his head down to recapture it.  “I am.  I promise.”  He murmurs before altering the angle of his head to bring their lips together in a movement Baekhyun is impressed Chanyeol has mastered so quickly, and while Chanyeol’s kiss doesn't make his fears disappear, it does soothe them into submission for the rest of evening.

The next morning as Baekhyun eaves drops on Chanyeol's call home to set a time and place, those fears return, and Baekhyun begins to silently pray that Chanyeol is right.  Baekhyun doesn’t particularly want to live in a world where he isn’t.

 


	2. Chapter 2

The stack of clothes on Baekhyun’s bed has already reached epic proportions by the time Chanyeol gets to his apartment.  His eyes widen in surprise as he stands in the doorway, watching as Baekhyun, already clad in a pair of black jeans, pulls out another shirt from his closet, a blue button up, looks it up and down, and then throws it over his shoulder onto the bed in a motion he must have already used at least 20 times.

It’s uncharacteristic of him.  Usually Baekhyun makes outfit decisions with a snap of his fingers and a heavy dose of stubbornness if he has decided what Chanyeol must wear as well. 

Personally, Chanyeol doesn’t mind that about him, although he has been caught off-guard by a couple of the looks he’s gotten in some of Baekhyun’s selections.

Baekhyun says he should take those looks as a compliments, and when Chanyeol asks why Baekhyun isn’t jealous or annoyed by the looks at all, he smirks and says he prefers showing off instead.  Chanyeol has never really understood that sentiment—because really, what is there to showoff about him?—but now, as he watches Baekhyun ruffle his hair while he lets out a disgruntled huff, he does.

Chanyeol is undeniably nervous about taking Baekhyun home.  His family is loud and opinionated, and definitely a little strange, but he also wants to take Baekhyun to meet them.  He wants to show him off, to show his parents the amazing person he has fallen in love with over the past few months.

He also wants Baekhyun, and Baekhyun’s hair, to survive the evening.  Chanyeol is not particularly sure either will as Baekhyun’s fingers tangle in his hair and pull while he lets out a frustrated groan.

Chanyeol pushes off from the bedroom doorframe and crosses the room, hand reaching up to disentangle Baekhyun’s fingers from his hair.  Baekhyun jumps at the contact, looking up in surprise.

“I didn’t hear you come in.”  He says, eyes wide as Chanyeol finishes extracting Baekhyun’s fingers from his hair.  He kisses Baekhyun’s palm before he drops his hand.

“I yelled when I came in.”  Chanyeol murmurs as Baekhyun’s hand falls to his side, taking note of the way Baekhyun’s heart is beating rapidly in his chest.  Too rapidly.  Chanyeol sighs as Baekhyun blinks and looks back at his closet.

“I am distracted.”  He murmurs, fingers reaching out to trail along hanging fabric as Chanyeol curls an arm around Baekhyun’s waist, leaning down to kiss his shoulder.

“You are.” He murmurs, grip tightening as he pulls Baekhyun a little closer to him.  “Are you sure you want to do this?  We can always reschedule.” He offers gently.

His family won’t necessarily be happy, but they’ll understand.  Chanyeol knows they’ll understand, and he really does think this might be damaging to Baekhyun’s health, both physical and mental.

Of the two, it is the latter that really has Chanyeol on edge because Chanyeol knows CPR and how to use a defibrillator, but he has far less confidence in his ability to piece Baekhyun together if he breaks down.

He probably will.  Baekhyun may call him an idiot, but Chanyeol has eyes.  He can tell Baekhyun isn’t letting him in.  He can tell that Baekhyun’s family situation hurts him more than he admits.  He just can’t fix it.  No more than he can fix the fact that his job occasionally makes Baekhyun panicked and upset.  No, all he can do is offer supportive hugs and understanding, and, in this case, an out.

Baekhyun doesn’t take it.

Chanyeol is far from surprised.

It’s one of the reasons he fell in love with Baekhyun in the first place.

For all the times Chanyeol has heard himself called strong and brave, he’d give Baekhyun the same labels ten times over.

\---

Baekhyun isn’t surprised by Chanyeol’s offer.  He knows he isn’t acting like himself, and Chanyeol offering to make things better in the only way he can is so typically him Baekhyun smiles as his fingers curl around another shirt in his closet.  Perhaps this one will be better than all the others he has rejected so far.

He pulls out the button up while taking a step away from the closet, pressing Chanyeol back as he holds up the shirt in front of the pair of them.  It’s white, mostly.  The shoulders are black, as is the seam along which the buttons reside in a hidden row.  It’s one of the rare shirts in his closet Baekhyun didn’t buy on his own.  He purchased it with Yixing, who he had dragged out to help fill out his own office wardrobe a few months earlier.

Yixing said it looked good on him, and he usually isn’t the type to lie, a problem at times if Baekhyun is being entirely honest.  It gets him into trouble.  Especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

“What about this?”  He asks, shaking the hanger in his grasp, making the shirt flutter while he adds a mental note to check up on Yixing soon.  It’s been too long since Baekhyun has seen him last.

Besides, introducing Chanyeol to Yixing might be one way to finally clear the air regarding his and Chanyeol’s first meeting from over a year ago.  Sometimes, Baekhyun thinks Chanyeol already knows their first meeting wasn’t in Heechul’s bar.  Other times, he’s not so sure.  Either way, even if he does know, that doesn’t necessarily mean Chanyeol understands that Baekhyun was working as a stripper at the time.

Baekhyun doesn’t necessarily expect Chanyeol to judge him for that.  Chanyeol is a pretty open and accepting guy, but Baekhyun is still trying to decide how to frame that particular discussion, especially since it means admitting to the money issues that plagued him through college as a result of his family dropping him like a rock.

Yeah, that is a conversation Baekhyun needs more time to figure out.  For now, it is better to focus on Chanyeol’s lips pressing to his shoulder as he nods his head.  “It looks perfect.”  He murmurs softly.  “Let me help you put it on.”  He adds, releasing his grip on Baekhyun’s waist to reach up and pull the hanger from his grasp.

Baekhyun laughs softly as he turns to face Chanyeol, a smile curling the edges of his lips.  “I can put it on myself.  I’m not a child.”  He claims as Chanyeol’s brow furrows in concentration while he undoes the buttons of the shirt with one hand.

He raises an eyebrow at Baekhyun’s comment, eyes flicking towards the bed as he pulls the shirt off its hanger, having undone its final closure.  “You sure about that?  I’m pretty sure only children are so indecisive.”  He says, voice playful, but with a slightly nervous edge.

Sometimes, Baekhyun wishes Chanyeol is as imperceptive as he seems.

He replaces a sigh trying to push past his lips with a laugh.  “I wasn’t sure what looked best.  I can’t have your mom thinking I’m a slob.” He says, turning away from Chanyeol and holding out his arms so that he can slip the fabric of his shirt over them.

He spins back around when the fabric settles on his shoulders, letting Chanyeol do the buttons up the front, starting with the lowest.  “She won’t think that.”  He promises with a soft laugh as he finishes, fingers curling under Baekhyun’s chin to turn his head up towards him.

Baekhyun keeps a smile on his face as he responds.  “I sure hope you’re right about that.”  He whispers, studying the soft smile on Chanyeol’s face, and the slight crinkling around the corners of his concern tinged eyes before he leans down to capture Baekhyun’s lips.

“I am.”  He murmurs as he pulls back, taking a step away in order to hold out his hand.  “You ready?”  He asks, tilting his head to the side.

Baekhyun swallows nervously and take Chanyeol’s hand.  “Yeah.”  He murmurs.  “Let’s go.”

Chanyeol smiles a bit wider and pulls on their linked hands, leading Baekhyun out of the apartment and down to where he has parked his car in the lower deck.

Baekhyun got him a pass last week.

Much like with Chanyeol changing his mail to Baekhyun’s address, it had just seemed the easiest thing to do.

\---

The drive over to Chanyeol’s house is quiet.

Chanyeol rests one of his hands on Baekhyun’s thigh and the other hand on the steering wheel, and when Baekhyun complains that he should drive with two hands, Chanyeol reminds him that he drives a truck three times the size of the car with one.  Baekhyun closes his mouth and lets Chanyeol’s hand squeeze around his thigh as he looks out the window, watching the scenery change from city buildings, to crowded highways, to small house lined streets, complete with trees and gardens.

They’re no longer in the city.  Baekhyun knows it, and he can tell they’re getting closer because Chanyeol’s grip is tightening on his thigh, and Chanyeol has stopped humming along with the radio as he turns through slightly twisting streets with a familiar ease.  Baekhyun drops his hands down to work Chanyeol fingers up from around where they clasp his thigh, twining their fingers together in a firm grip.

Chanyeol glances over at him and smiles for a second before his eyes are back on the road.

“We’re here.”  He murmurs with a squeeze of Baekhyun’s hand not even one full block later, pulling the car to a stop in front of a mid-sized house with a short stone path that led to a front door edged by flowers.

Baekhyun nods to himself and tries to smile when Chanyeol looks over at him as he turns the keys in the ignition, stopping the engine.  “Ready?”  He asks.

“As I’ll ever be.”  He murmurs, leaning over to open his car door. 

Chanyeol laughs, giving Baekhyun’s hand a final squeeze before releasing his grip and popping his door open first.  “Let me get that.”  He says, moving around the car in quick strides before Baekhyun can say it’s not necessary.  He can open the door himself.

Except he can’t, because Chanyeol’s family dog clearly knows the sound of Chanyeol’s car and is being let out the front door to great him by a woman who can only be Chanyeol’s mother, the sight of whom freezes Baekhyun in place.  Perhaps this wasn’t a good idea after all, and no, it’s not because she’s looking at Baekhyun with anything in the way of disapproval, not even mild distaste.

No, she is smiling warmly as she follows after the bouncing collie that leaps into Chanyeol’s arms as he kneels down on the ground, licking his face while he laughs in front of Baekhyun’s still closed door.

She pats Chanyeol’s shoulder as she moves past the pair, pushing them off to the side slightly so that she can pull open Baekhyun’s door instead and help him out with a grip as firm as her son’s and a smile that is equally wide.  “And you must be Baekhyun.”  She says, eyes scanning Baekhyun up and down.

Baekhyun nods once mechanically in response while wishing Mrs. Park’s response was a grimace or a groan, and not a jovial laugh accompanied by a short hug as she apologizes for the dog monopolizing Chanyeol’s attention.  Either of those former reactions would have been easy to process.  Simple.

A laugh and a hug?

Those just confirm Baekhyun’s impression that he should have never gone with Chanyeol that evening because the wrapping of Mrs. Park’s arms around his back, however brief, remind him of a hug he hasn’t felt in years and will most likely never feel again.

The clamping of Mr. Park’s hand on his shoulder once they corral Chanyeol and the dog back into the house is no different, and by the time Baekhyun is seated at a dinner table lined with too many dishes and warmly smiling faces, the knot is his throat is almost too big for him to even eat.

He tries to anyways because Mrs. Park’s prodding at him for being too skinny and needing to eat more only makes it worse.

\---

Baekhyun makes it to dessert.  He doesn’t know how he makes it to dessert, but he does.  The conversations are all a bit of a blur, tinged with his own sweaty palms and Chanyeol’s hand subtly placed on his thigh. 

Baekhyun actually pushed it off the first time it appeared there.  He didn’t think it was appropriate, but Chanyeol’s expression in the wake of the action had Baekhyun leaving it in place the second time.  It probably wouldn’t make the impression he was making any worse anyways.  He was doing a good enough job of that all on his own when he took several seconds to respond to any question thrown his way as he first swallowed down the knot in his throat that was only growing as Chanyeol and his family laughed through conversations about work and his sister’s upcoming marriage.

It’s his sister’s wedding that finally does it, or well, Baekhyun’s invitation to it, something he discovers as Chanyeol’s sister, Yoora laughs and says.  “You know Chanyeol, when I included a plus one on your invitation, I didn’t think you’d actually use it.”

Chanyeol sticks his tongue out back at her.  “Well I am.  You better have room.”  He threatens.

Yoora laughs again as he shakes her head.  “Of course we do.  You just—“

“Wait,” Baekhyun says, shock and surprise making him stiffen as the knot in his throat vanishes to be replaced by pure disbelief, “I’m invited?”  He asks, feeling Chanyeol’s grip on his thigh tighten as Yoora stares at him in surprise before she nods her head with a familiar sounding laugh, even if it’s at a different pitch.

“Of course.  I’ll be relying on you to make sure he,” she jerks her thumb in Chanyeol’s direction, “is both on time and presentable.  You can handle that right?”

Baekhyun stares for a couple seconds, not responding right away.  By the time he does, the room seems deathly quiet and it feels like all eyes, even the dog’s, are on him.  “Your fiancé… is okay with this?”  Baekhyun struggles with the words.  Struggles with the expressions that greet them.  Struggles for air.

On the way over Chanyeol mentioned knowing CPR.  Baekhyun said he wouldn’t need it.

He might soon.

After a couple seconds, Yoora lets out a shaky laugh and nods her head.  “Yes.  His sister is like you, or well, the opposite I guess.  She’s bringing her girlfriend too, and besides, if he wasn’t fine with it, I wouldn’t marry him.  Why would I want to marry an asshole like that?”

“Yoora!”  Mrs. Park exclaims, but Baekhyun barely hears it.  Just like he barely sees Yoora shrug her shoulders as she continues on.

“What?  That’s what he’d be.  If he can’t love my brother because he loves Baekhyun then he can go jump off a cliff.  It’s that kind of—“

Baekhyun pushes himself away from the table, legs of his chair screeching.  “I need to go to the bathroom.”  He says, not even meeting Chanyeol’s eyes before he bolts, not sure what kind of expression will be on his face.  All he knows is there are tears in his eyes and he needs to be somewhere else when they fall.

\---

In his haste to depart, Baekhyun forgets that he doesn’t even technically know where the bathroom is, but he manages to find it anyways.  He pulls the door of the small room tucked along the downstairs hallway open and disappears inside, sliding down the door after first locking it with a deafening sounding click.

He is safe.  Safe to do whatever it is he wants to do, which is cry.  A lot.

It’s dumb.

Baekhyun has told himself, time and again, that he is done crying about this.  His parents found him kissing a guy in his bedroom and kicked him out.

Boohoo.

Like Chanyeol’s sister said, it just makes them assholes who abandoned him for a reason that is beyond his control.

Yeah, that’s it.  They’re just assholes, and so, Baekhyun shouldn’t miss them.  He shouldn’t be sad that the only way he saw his brother’s wedding was in pictures sent secretly months after the fact instead of singing at it like he had always intended to.  He shouldn’t want to have a dinner like he just had with his mother, father and brother while they laugh about his latest round of celebrity demands at work. 

He shouldn’t, but,

He does.

And therefore, Baekhyun is going to cry alone in Chanyeol’s bathroom because looking at his families’ smiling faces is going to feel like stabbing himself in the heart repeatedly until he does not.

Of course, he can only sit on the bathroom floor for so long, and to be entirely honest, Baekhyun has no clue how long it’s been when the knocks echo on the bathroom door.  All he knows is he’s not ready yet.  He’s not done caring yet, and he doesn’t want to be seen by anyone, not like this.

“I’ll be out in a minute,” he croaks, wincing as he hears his voice.  “Great,” he mumbles under his breath, “That sounded wonderful.  I’m sure Chanyeol’s going to be less worried no—“

Knock.  Knock.  Knock.

Baekhyun groans, back of his head hitting against bathroom door.  “Oh my god, Chanyeol.  Just fuck off.  I’ll be out soon.”  He says, wincing again as he hears the words pass his lips.  Chanyeol didn’t deserve that.  He’ll have to apologize later though because there’s no more knocking, and Baekhyun is pretty sure he hears footsteps walking away from the door before he sniffs and connects his forehead with his drawn up knees.

“Shit.”  He groans, grinding his head into his thighs.  What is he supposed to do now?

Click.  Click.  Click.

Baekhyun freezes with his head pressed against his thighs as he hears the shimmy of key into the bathroom door knob.  He barely has time to move away from the door, back colliding with the opposite wall of the small room, before it opens to reveal—

“Mrs. Park.”  Baekhyun says with a muted gasp as Chanyeol’s mother looks down at where he sits on the bathroom floor, one hand on her hip and the other on the door.

“I would hope you don't speak to my son like that too often.”  She says, eyes slightly hard as she studies Baekhyun on the floor.

Baekhyun flinches before he sniffs and raises a hand, pressing against his nose.  “I…”  He trails off, not certain what to say, unable to make sense of the shifting expression on Mrs. Park’s face, which is going from hard to undeniably soft as she kneels down on the floor.

“I’m sorry.  My daughter doesn’t always think before she speaks.  A problem she inherited from me I’m afraid.”  She whispers, hand resting on Baekhyun’s shoulder gently as Baekhyun shakes his head.

“It’s fine.  It’s not like—“

“It’s not fine,” Mrs. Park murmurs, fingers squeezing around Baekhyun’s shoulder.  “It causes all sorts of problems.  Chanyeol does it too.  I’m sure you’ve noticed.”  She murmurs, smile gentle and encouraging as Baekhyun chuckles weakly.

“He changed his mail address without telling me.”  He whispers, voice a bit scratchy, borderline broken, but slightly better.

Mrs. Park continues to smile as she nods.  “Yeah, he told me.  See what I mean?  Problems.  That’s what happens when you do things without thinking about them.  Of course, that doesn’t mean it's always a bad thing.”  Mrs. Park whispers, other hand settling on Baekhyun’s opposite shoulder.

Baekhyun blinks in surprise.  “It’s not?”  He asks.  He’s pretty sure talking without thinking has already led to him saying something he regrets this night.

Mrs. Park nods in response as she begins to pull, letting her hands slip to the tops of Baekhyun’s arms so she can get him off the floor and wrapped up into a hug that startles Baekhyun as her hands go around his back.  “Of course not.  It means I can do things like this.”  She states, and after a couple seconds during which his arms flutter uncertainly, Baekhyun’s hands do the only thing they really can do, and wrap around her back.

It’s a hug the likes of which he hasn’t felt in years, and when Mrs. Park tells him he can cry if wants, he does, a lot.  He probably even gets snot on her blouse, which is hardly the most appropriate thing to do to a woman he has known a scant two hours at best, but Mrs. Park doesn’t complain.  She just stands there, hands rubbing his back or patting his hair as she makes soft shushing sounds that are more soothing than years of Baekhyun telling himself he didn’t care about what he’d lost when his mother opened the door to his bedroom that fateful day, because he does.

Baekhyun does care.

Because it hurts.

Losing bonds that he thought he would have for a lifetime hurts, and erasing that loss is impossible.  Replacing it is too, but maybe, just maybe, new bonds, different bonds, can be formed instead, and while they’ll never be the same, they can be just as beautiful.

It’s a thought that is a bit scary, made even more so when, after Baekhyun has quieted down, Mrs. Park’s arms tighten around him as she whispers softly.  “I can’t take the place of what you lost.  None of us can, but can call me mom, if you want.”

Baekhyun stiffens in Mrs. Park’s grasp, afraid.  If he says ‘yes’ and things between him and Chanyeol somehow end badly, he’ll then have one more thing to lose.  He doesn’t know if he can risk that again, not yet.  “I…”  Baekhyun’s voice trails off as Mrs. Park gently adjust her grip, pushing Baekhyun away from her chest.

“You don’t have to make any decisions yet.  Just… the offer is there.”  She says, smiling softly.

Baekhyun blinks in surprise before nodding his head.  “Thank you.”  He whispers, and Mrs. Park nods back in return.

“Anytime.”  She answers, reaching over to grab a tissue from the sink.  “Now, let’s get you cleaned up.  Were you wearing eyeliner?”  She asks, dabbing at Baekhyun’s cheeks for a couple seconds as her brow wrinkles in confusion.

Baekhyun starts before he flushes, minutely nodding his head as Mrs. Park moves the tissue to wipe around his eyes.  “A bit.”  He admits, wondering what Mrs. Park will think of that admission and wincing as she laughs softly.

“Well, good, that at least means your tears aren’t black.”  She says, continuing to dab at Baekhyun’s eyes.  Eventually, she sighs and turns to toss the tissue in the trash before reaching out to grab Baekhyun’s hand.

“Follow me.”  She orders, tugging him through the house, all the way to the master bathroom, making Baekhyun’s eyes widen to the size of saucers as she starts digging through her makeup, grabbing liquid makeup remover and a cotton ball before he can think to say anything.

“Close,” she says, standing in front of Baekhyun with the items in hand, and Baekhyun does so wordlessly, having at least finally caught sight of the darkened smudges around his eyes in the mirror and therefore understanding the reason why Mrs. Park is dabbing at his eyes with a wet cotton ball, even if he still has a hard time wrapping his mind around the reason why she would want to.

She is silent as she works, and Baekhyun is surprised when the wet cotton ball is replaced by a dry one as Mrs. Park suddenly starts speaking again.  “Chanyeol was so worried when he told us.  He even said he’d kill himself, if that’s what we wanted.  Can you believe that?  Really, I’m his mother.  How could I ever want that?”   She says with a sad laugh, the dry cotton ball also being tossed away before being followed by more rummaging.

When she returns, Baekhyun can tell that she has eyeliner in her grasp, and she’s dragging it over his eyes as she continues speaking.  “Of course, because he said that, I never thought he’d find someone, you know.  I was afraid he’d be too guilty to ever even try.”  She whispers, and Baekhyun hears her cap the eyeliner in her grasp before reaching out to his chin, turning his head side to side.

“So I was surprised when he mentioned you, but I’m glad he did.”  She adds, uncapping the liner and making a few adjustments before pulling away again, seemingly satisfied, if the fact that Baekhyun hears her turn away to return the eyeliner to its home is any indication.

Baekhyun opens his eyes to watch her work, and is greeted by a smile as Mrs. Park turns back around to look him in the eye.  “I honestly can say that he’s the happiest I’ve seen him in years, so, thank you.”  She says, and Baekhyun blinks, surprised that it’s now Mrs. Park that seems near tears.

Hoping to keep her smiling instead, Baekhyun quickly shakes his head.  “Chanyeol’s the one who makes me happy.”  He argues, and Mrs. Park laughs as she tilts her head back towards the ceiling, lowering it down after a couple seconds.

“Of course.”  She says, reaching out a hand to turn Baekhyun towards the mirror.  “Do I pass?  It’s been a while since I’ve done this for anyone but myself.  I may have gone a bit overboard.”  She adds with an awkward laugh as Baekhyun looks himself over in the mirror.

Honestly, Mrs. Park has outdone herself, shading at the corners of his eyes with some red that really accents them and the black liner she used.  He may have to ask her what it is later he thinks, fingers hovering over it as he looks at it a bit more closely before he smiles at his reflection.  “It’s perfect.”  He whispers, and instantly, Mrs. Park smiles.

“Thank goodness.”  She says through a relieved sigh before raising a hand to Baekhyun’s shoulder.  “Ready to go back out?”  She asks with a gentle squeeze.

Baekhyun takes a deep breath as he looks himself over once more in the mirror before he nods.  “Yeah, I think I am.”  He answers, allowing Mrs. Park to lead him back through the house to the living room where the rest of the family is already sitting, watching the night’s soccer match between South Korea and Qatar.

When Chanyeol catches sight of him, he jumps, nearly standing up before just freezing in place.  One of Yoora’s hands eventually pushes him all the way back down to where he was seated in front of her on the floor while leaned against the couch.

Baekhyun bites his lip for a second, feeling nervous before he finds himself pulled into the room the rest of the way by Mrs. Park, who joins her husband on the couch as Baekhyun stands awkwardly next to Chanyeol, who’s eyes remain wide.  Finally, he reaches up a hesitant hand to wrap around Baekhyun’s wrist, tugging gently with silently pleading eyes, and that does it.  Baekhyun collapses to the ground so quickly it’s almost as if his knees give out, letting Chanyeol wrap an arm around his back as they watch the game seated on the floor.

At some point, Chanyeol asks if he is alright.

Baekhyun nods and says he is, squeezing a bit closer to Chanyeol while hoping it won’t be seen as indecent.

No one says a thing.

\---

The match runs so late that before Baekhyun even knows how it's happening, a futon is being set up on the floor of Chanyeol's old room while his mom openly acknowledges that its presence is more for her peace of mind than because she honestly believes Baekhyun will use it.

The comment makes Baekhyun flush, but Chanyeol turns positively scarlet and all but shoves her out of the room when she starts to mention using protection.

Baekhyun is laughing as Chanyeol turns away from his firmly shut door, chest heaving.  “Your mom is something else.”  He says, sitting down on the edge of Chanyeol’s bed as he holds a hand to his stomach.

Chanyeol turns an even deeper shade of red.  “She’s a monster.”  He groans, walking towards where Baekhyun has sat, pausing in front of him until Baekhyun looks up, a wicked grin on his face.

“I like her.”  He says before his voice turns slightly high pitched.  “Now, here’s your bed that I know you won’t use.”

“Baekhyun.”  Chanyeol whines, face flushing.

“And please remember I sleep in this house, but not below this room,” He continues.

“Baekhyun!” Chanyeol exclaims, pushing Baekhyun onto his back as he climbs onto the bed.

Baekhyun smirks and keeps talking as Chanyeol hovers over him, “and make sure you use—“

“Shut up.”  Chanyeol groans, leaning down to capture Baekhyun’s lips, effectively shutting him up in the best way Baekhyun can think of, his lips remaining curled even as Chanyeol’s press against them.

It’s a firm press, hard enough to make sure Baekhyun can’t talk through it, but not much else.  Chanyeol doesn’t try to lick his way past Baekhyun’s lips.  He doesn’t try to let his hands go anywhere, leaving them above Baekhyun’s shoulders.  All he does is alter the angle of his lips a couple times before he pulls away, and Baekhyun is ready, another quip fresh on his lips, but it dies a quick death as Chanyeol looks down at him wordlessly, finally moving one of his hands so that his fingers trail up Baekhyun’s cheek to his eyes.

“You cried.”  He whispers, fingers trailing around them gently, ghosting around the edges of color that still reside there as Baekhyun hasn’t yet had a chance to wipe it off.

Baekhyun sighs and nods his head.  “A lot.”  He admits, not even bothering to try to lie.  There is far too much evidence against him.

Above him Chanyeol sighs as well, fingers pressing against Baekhyun’s cheek.  “Do you need to do it more?”  He asks softly.

Baekhyun shakes his head.  “No.  I’m feeling better now.  Your mom helped a lot.”  He whispers, smiling as Chanyeol studies him critically.

“What did she say?”  He finally asks, rolling off Baekhyun and onto his side, pulling Baekhyun along so they are face to face and Chanyeol can tangle their legs together.

His legs are longer, bigger, and heavier than Baekhyun’s own, and also warm.  Baekhyun slides his legs past Chanyeol’s, enjoying the feel of them before he answers.  “She said a lot of things.  I can call her mom if I want.”  He whispers, feeling Chanyeol stiffen as the words pass his lips.

“Will you?”  He asks, fingers reaching up to push some of Baekhyun’s hair around his ear.  Baekhyun shakes his head, moving it back so Chanyeol has to brush it away again, fingers gliding past his temple.

“Not yet.  Maybe someday, if you’re okay with it.”  He murmurs, eyes focusing on Chanyeol’s own to monitor his reaction closely.

Chanyeol blinks in surprise before his eyes soften in a mixture of understanding and carefully contained happiness.  “I think I’d like that.”  He whispers, making Baekhyun smile as he scoots a little closer to Chanyeol, sliding until his arm is over Chanyeol’s back, running down his spine as Chanyeol’s hand that has slipped under his neck scratches at his nape.

“What else?”  Chanyeol eventually whispers after an indeterminate period of time has passed in silence, and Baekhyun’s eyes have fallen closed.  He blinks blearily as he lets out a yawn, considering what else he should say.  If he should say anything.  Finally, he does, because even though he’s pretty sure neither he nor Chanyeol want to talk about this, they probably should, at least a little bit.

“She said you were willing to kill yourself when you told them.”

Chanyeol’s hand grips around the back of Baekhyun’s neck as he stiffens before he pulls Baekhyun closer, pressing their chests together as his chin hooks over Baekhyun’s shoulder.  “I was.”  He admits as a shiver courses through him.  “Jump off a cliff…  Disappear… I was willing to do whatever they wanted, and all they did was hug me and tell me I’m perfect just the way I am.”

Baekhyun laughs weakly, curling tighter around Chanyeol.  “It’s ironic, isn’t it?  You’re willing to die for your parents who tell you to live.  My parents tell me I might as well be dead while I refuse to die.”

Chanyeol’s grip tightens instantly in response to Baekhyun’s words, and Baekhyun finds himself on his back again with Chanyeol hovering over top of him, expression surprisingly dark.  “You aren’t allowed to die either.”  He says, intensity in his voice making Baekhyun flinch.

“I wasn’t planning on it.”  He whispers, surprised.

He really isn’t.  He might have thought about it once, or twice, or, okay, maybe a couple more times than that when everything was just so wrong in his life, but he never actually tried it.  Instead, he found Yixing and Luhan and the others, and with their help, he found his way, a way that had eventually led him to where he is now, beneath Chanyeol, who is biting his lips nervously, again.

Baekhyun smiles and maneuvers one of his hands to pull it out.  “What?”  He whispers, fingers pressed against Chanyeol’s lips as Chanyeol lets out a quiet hum, pressing forward to kiss Baekhyun again, except, Baekhyun doesn’t move his fingers, so he’s kissing through them instead, tongue tracing past the digits until Baekhyun shudders, and he pulls away, expression doubtful.

“Can I do what I want?”  He asks, fingers reaching up to brush Baekhyun’s dampened ones aside so he trace his slightly moistened lips instead.

Baekhyun laughs beneath him, letting one of Chanyeol’s fingers dip into his mouth so he can lick around it, sucking on the digit thoughtfully for a couple seconds before letting it go.  “What do you want to do?”  He asks quietly, curious as to what Chanyeol's response will be.  If he's going to be brave enough to ask to do something they haven't before.

Baekhyun wouldn't be surprised if he does.

Rather, he would be the first to admit that he has been holding back a bit.  He likes to pretend that it has to do with Chanyeol and not wanting to take things too fast, but, if Baekhyun is being honest… it has more to do with him.

He has avoided being topped, which is definitey how it's going the first time, since his last long term relationship that ended before he even met Chanyeol.  There were a lot of other ways to get his fix if he wanted it, and well, that particular relationship hadn’t been one that made him interested in going all the way again.  He’d ended up with bruises more times than he cared to admit, and when Baekhyun had finally passed out during sex from lack of air and woken up with fingerprints around his throat, he’d ended it for good, much to Yixing’s relief after he’d spent an hour covering the bruises for work that night.

Baekhyun hasn’t told Chanyeol about that yet either.  He doesn’t necessarily want to, but when Chanyeol lets out a muted gasp, and just stares down at him as his cheeks turn crimson, Baekhyun realizes he might need to, because it’s clear that Chanyeol wants, oh yes Chanyeol wants, but he doesn’t know what he’s getting into, and if Baekhyun’s being entirely honest, neither does he.

He just knows that Chanyeol’s the one he wants to figure it out with.

The last one.


	3. Chapter 3

Chanyeol doesn't know how to answer Baekhyun’s question.  Really he doesn't.

“What do you want to do?”

How is he supposed to answer that?

Sure there are lots of things Chanyeol would like to do, Baekhyun being pretty high on the list of them, but there are also plenty of reasons Chanyeol doesn't think that is the best idea.

They are in his parents’ house.  Literally, his parents are sleeping downstairs in a room that is not that far away, and even if they weren't, there is also the part where Baekhyun has already had a hell of a day.  He even told Chanyeol to fuck off at one point, which Chanyeol did when his mother pushed him away from the door, reluctantly walking back to the dinner table.  That hadn't been an awkward solo return, not at all.

Given that, Chanyeol is pretty sure asking Baekhyun to make important life decisions isn't entirely fair.  He probably isn't thinking very clearly.  If he were there was no way he would have answered the way he did.  He surely would have said something else, or at least, he would have followed up his response by now, teasing Chanyeol for—

“You're overthinking it.”  Baekhyun murmurs softly.

“No I'm not.”  Chanyeol says with a jump even though he probably is, at least a little bit.

Beneath him, Baekhyun chuckles softly and shakes his head. “You know, you may be right.”  He whispers fingers reaching out to trace around Chanyeol's features with feather light touches for a couple seconds before he jumps and looks down towards his waist with a rather annoyed expression.

“Hey,” he murmurs, shifting slightly beneath Chanyeol, “Can you let me up for a second?  My phone is vibrating like crazy.”

Chanyeol starts before he nods and climbs off Baekhyun's waist.  “Oh.  Sure.” He says as Baekhyun slides up into seated position against the headboard as he fishes out his phone, grumbling under his breath something that sounds like “Fucking annoying,” as he stares at the screen.

He glances up at Chanyeol, expression apologetic.  “Sorry,” he murmurs, “but I have to take this.”

“Go ahead,” Chanyeol says with a nod as he sits back on the bed, watching as Baekhyun accepts the call and raises his phone to his ear.  His first words make Chanyeol blush.

“You're kind of interrupting something Lu.”  He complains, annoyance dripping off every syllable before he falls silent, nodding and laughing along to whoever is speaking on the other end of the line for a while before his eyes flick to Chanyeol with a sigh.

“Seriously?  Again?”  He whines, eyes on Chanyeol as he speaks.

A couple seconds later, he's shaking his head as he speaks through a sigh, confusing Chanyeol with his tone, which is a mix of exasperated and happy.  “Oh, alright, alright, but you owe me dinner.  It's been too long since I've seen your face.”  He says falling silent for a couple seconds before he laughs.

“No. It is entirely your fault.  Yeah, yeah.   I'll see you on Monday.  We have lots to talk about.”  He murmurs, eyes on Chanyeol's again before he runs through a couple more cursory phrases and hangs up, grumbling down at his phone before leaning over to set it on the nightstand by the bed.

“Sorry, where were we?”  He asks as he leans back, redirecting his attention to Chanyeol who remains seated cross legged a little ways down the bed.

Chanyeol blinks before he crawls forward a bit.  “We were—who was that?”  He says, pausing a bit closer to where Baekhyun is seated as curiosity gets the better of him.

Whoever Baekhyun had been on the phone with was clearly a friend, and… Chanyeol hasn't really met any of Baekhyun's friends.  In fact, he's barely mentioned them, though Chanyeol is certain he has them.  He likes people to much not to have at least some friends.

In front of him, Baekhyun's face is surprisingly hesitant for a couple seconds before he shakes his head.

“A friend.  I should introduce you guys sometime.  Luhan’s a little crazy, but he’s nice, and I owe him a lot.”  Baekhyun says, tone turning soft and affectionate. Grateful.

Much like when Baekhyun mentioned his parents the first time, Chanyeol realizes that he still has a lot to learn about the man in front of him.  He doesn't expect that it will make him love him any less, but he still wants to know.  He wants to understand Baekhyun.  He can love him better that way and so, he asks another question when Baekhyun doesn't continue speaking.

“Why haven’t I met him before?”

Baekhyun starts before he shakes his head.  “Luhan’s job keeps him busy.”  He explains, and Chanyeol raises an eyebrow in response, waiting.  Baekhyun is already biting his lip.  If he just waits, he’ll probably answer the question Chanyeol hasn’t asked.

Sure enough, Baekhyun lets out a long sigh after a couple seconds, but what he says isn’t what Chanyeol expects.  “Chanyeol, do you remember when we first met?”  He asks, and Chanyeol stares back at him, brow furrowing in confusion before he hesitantly offers a response.

“Um, at the bar?”  He whispers, uncertain if that is the answer Baekhyun wants.  He’s never mentioned knowing he met Baekhyun before that day.  He hasn’t known if he was supposed to know, so he has just kept that detail to himself.

Now though, Baekhyun shakes his head, eyes tinged with disappointment and a touch of fear.  Before he can manage to open his mouth, Chanyeol cuts him off, changing his response.  Clearly, the answer Baekhyun wants is the other one, the answer Chanyeol has kept to himself for months.

“The firehouse,”  He whispers softly, and Baekhyun starts, blinking in surprise as he just stares at Chanyeol with his mouth agape.  Chanyeol keeps talking to fill the silence.

“I didn’t know how to tell you.  I knew when I woke up in your apartment that day.”  He admits, and that, that gets Baekhyun’s frozen form to move as his eyes widen and he lets out a small, surprised gasp.

“You knew then?”

Chanyeol blushes as he nods.  “Yeah.  I figured it out while standing in your kitchen.”  He says as Baekhyun shakes his head in disbelief.

“And you didn’t say anything?”  He asks, tone surprisingly critical.  Chanyeol ducks his head contritely and reaches out his hands to take one of Baekhyun’s own in his grasp, squeezing it gently.

“What was I supposed to say?  ‘Hey, do you remember that time I cut handcuffs off your “not boyfriend’s” wrists?’”  He answers, trying to not sound defensive, but probably failing.  If Baekhyun notices, he doesn’t seem to care.  He seems far more focused on Chanyeol’s words as opposed to his tone, shaking his hand in Chanyeol’s grasp.

“He really wasn’t my boyfriend.”  He claims, voice somewhat pleading, making Chanyeol laugh as he shrugs his shoulders.

“Either way.  It’s not like it really matters now.”  He says, and it doesn’t.  That’s another reason Chanyeol hasn’t bothered bringing it up before, because really, all that matters are where they are today, not where Baekhyun was a few years ago with a handcuffed "not boyfriend" and shockingly purple hair.

Baekhyun shakes his head stubbornly as he drags Chanyeol towards him, pulling him past his side so that Baekhyun can then climb onto Chanyeol’s lap as he takes up Baekhyun’s previous position along the headboard.

“Actually, it does because when you meet Yixing, it’s going to be really awkward if you don’t understand we’ve only ever been friends.”  He explains, legs settling on the outside of Chanyeol’s hips, framing them as Chanyeol cocks his head to the side in confusion.

“Yixing?”

Baekhyun smiles and reaches out to right Chanyeol’s tilted head.  “Handcuffed boy’s name.”  He clarifies, making Chanyeol laugh as his hands go around Baekhyun’s waist, holding him in place gently.

“I see. So, only friends?”  He asks, hands pressing against Baekhyun’s lower back as he tries to wrap his mind around Baekhyun’s words.

Baekhyun nods in response.  “Friends.  Good friends.  He helped me get through college, along with Luhan and the others.”  Baekhyun says, and even though that makes sense, Chanyeol still doesn’t understand how Yixing and Baekhyun being friends led to Yixing being trapped in metal handcuffs.

“Okay, so then why was he in handcuffs?”  He finally asks after a couple seconds, abandoning his attempts to logically come up with an explanation.  Given that the situation involved Baekhyun, the likelihood of the explanation being logical wasn’t all that high anyways.

Baekhyun's brow furrows for a second, hesitating momentarily before he responds.  “Because I wanted to see what he looked like dancing in them.”  He finally says, answering Chanyeol’s question while still not really telling him anything.

“What kind of dancing?”  Chanyeol persists, not liking the way Baekhyun’s eyes are back to being more than uncertain.  They’re almost fearful, and Baekhyun’s hands grip into Chanyeol’s shirt tightly, balling it up in his fists before he answers quietly.

“A striptease.”  He says, and before Chanyeol recovers enough to comment on that revelation, Baekhyun keeps talking, voice barely above a whisper.   “I worked as a stripper through college Chanyeol.  It helped me pay for it.”

For the second time that evening, Chanyeol doesn’t know what to say.  This time, neither Baekhyun’s cell phone nor Baekhyun save him though, at least not exactly.

Baekhyun does speak after a couple seconds, tugging on Chanyeol’s shirt as he whines, “Say something,” in a voice that is filled with emotions Chanyeol doesn’t like, but that Chanyeol needs a bit more time to handle as he processes this new revelation.

His boyfriend, Baekhyun, is an ex-stripper.  It’s a little… well it’s a little of a lot of things, which is why Chanyeol finally just stares back at Baekhyun and asks, “What do you want me to say?”

Baekhyun blinks back at Chanyeol for a couple seconds, before he shakes his shirt and whines again.  “I don’t know, just… something.”  He says, sounding desperate and afraid.  Chanyeol really doesn’t like that, not at all, and so, he decides on his response as he moves, pulling Baekhyun closer so that his face is pressed to Chanyeol’s chest.

“Did you like it?”  He asks softly, feeling Baekhyun stiffen against him before he turns his head to the side.

“Huh?”  He asks, sounding confused as Chanyeol raises a hand to gently card his fingers through his hair.

Chanyeol lets out a soft laugh as he leans down to kiss Baekhyun’s head before he repeats himself.  “Did you like working as a… dancer?”  He clarifies softly, opting for a slightly different word.  Dancer was easier, far easier, to say than stripper.

Baekhyun stiffens again before he laughs, pushing away from Chanyeol’s chest so he can look him in the eye as he shakes his head.  “Stripper.  Chanyeol.  Stripper.  Yixing is a dancer.  I’m definitely not.”

“You fake it well then.”  Chanyeol murmurs as he considers all the times Baekhyun has tried to drag him into something at least resembling dancing when they’ve gone out.  Those instances have made it pretty clear, to Chanyeol at least, that Baekhyun could dance, and Chanyeol, well Chanyeol could do his best to at least stand near him while he did it.

Baekhyun laughs as he shakes his head again, an amused glint in his eyes.  “I’ll have to get Yixing to dance for you.  You’ll understand the difference then.”  He claims, making Chanyeol’s eyes widen in surprise.

“You want me to watch him dance?”  He asks, surprised.

It’s one thing for him to be okay with Baekhyun having danced in front of other people, which Chanyeol thinks he is, almost.  He’s still processing things a little bit, but regardless, that is entirely different from Baekhyun being okay with other people stripping in front of him, at least in Chanyeol’s mind.

Baekhyun doesn’t seem to follow Chanyeol’s thoughts, not at first.  He just looks rather confused by Chanyeol’s response, but then, comprehension dawns and his smile is back, wider than ever.  “Good point.  You are forbidden from falling for him.”  He says, pointing an accusatory finger into Chanyeol’s chest as he pulls back slightly.  “This is mine.”

Chanyeol laughs as he lets one of his hands move to wrap around Baekhyun’s finger.  “You really think I would?”  He asks softly, voice sincere as he smiles at Baekhyun, who looks genuinely surprised for a couple seconds before he shakes his head.

“No.”  He murmurs with a shake of his head, leaning forward to kiss Chanyeol deeply for a couple seconds before he pulls away with another head shake.  “I don’t,” He whispers, tone equally sincere before one of his dampened lips dips between his teeth.

Chanyeol pulls it out with ease.  “What?”  He whispers, fingertips still hovering against Baekhyun’s lips.

Baekhyun sighs against them before he reaches up to pull them down, cupping Chanyeol’s hand in both of his as he looks up at Chanyeol’s face.  “How upset would you be if I told you Luhan asked me to work for him at his strip club next week?”

Chanyeol’s hand tightens in Baekhyun’s grasp as he considers it.

He honestly can’t say he likes the idea of Baekhyun dancing for other people, but well, it’s not like Baekhyun likes the idea of him running into burning buildings either so…

“Can I watch?”  He asks, head tilting to the side, curious if Baekhyun will say yes.

“W-what?”  Baekhyun asks back, stumbling over the word in surprise.

Chanyeol lets a smile overtake his features as he repeats himself, squeezing Baekhyun’s hands again.  “Can I come watch you da—strip?”  He asks, modifying his query mid-word, certain Baekhyun would correct him if he didn’t, which would only distract him away from answering the actual question.

Baekhyun studies Chanyeol’s face for a couple seconds warily before speaking, voice soft.  “You want too?”

“I’m sure I’m not going to mind the view.”  Chanyeol responds with a laugh, letting his free hand snake around Baekhyun’s waist to squeeze at a spot that was sort of his back, but not really.

Baekhyun shudders slightly in response, the tremor reaching his voice.  “You’re not going to get jealous and do something stupid?”  He asks, voice shaky and eyes uncertain.

Chanyeol laughs in response as he squeezes at Baekhyun’s ass again.  “As someone once said, I’d rather showoff instead.”  He murmurs, and this time, Baekhyun’s eyes widen in shock as he freezes, making Chanyeol wonder if he’s said the right thing.

“Are you serious?”  Baekhyun’s asked, tone rife with disbelief.

Chanyeol shrugs.  “You let me run into burning buildings.  I’m pretty sure stripping is less dangerous than that.”  And while Chanyeol may not like everything about it, he is fairly certain he doesn’t have the right to tell Baekhyun to stop if it is something he wants to do.  Stripping isn’t going to kill him, so if Baekhyun wants to do it, Chanyeol is going to have to accept it.

Surprisingly, he doesn’t think it will be all that hard.  Chanyeol is already willing to accept a lot when it comes to Baekhyun, and moonlighting as a stripper isn’t really all that bad, at least in Chanyeol’s mind.

Baekhyun shakes his head.  “It’s not the danger aspect that most people would be upset by Yeol.”  He responds.

Chanyeol shrugs again.  “You’re still going to come home and sleep next to me when you’re done right?”  He asks.

Baekhyun nods.  “Of course.”  He answers, his response instantaneous and absolute.

Chanyeol smiles, moving his hand to stroke down Baekhyun’s cheek.  “Then it’s fine.”  He whispers.  “That’s all I care about.”

Baekhyun just stares at Chanyeol for a couple seconds, struggling for words.  “You’re…”  He groans and leans forward, capturing Chanyeol’s lips in another kiss that ends too soon as Baekhyun pulls away to whisper against Chanyeol’s cheek.   “I love you.”

Chanyeol smiles and turns to press his lips to the side of Baekhyun’s face.  “Me too.”  He whispers, and Chanyeol can feel Baekhyun smiling as he takes a deep breath before he reaches up a hand to run through Chanyeol’s hair, tugging him over in order to kiss him deeply instead.

He pushes past Chanyeol’s defenses in seconds as he shifts beneath him, rubbing against Chanyeol’s lap and making him moan softly.  The sound is swallowed up by Baekhyun’s lips, captured in the wet and slick slide of his tongue past Chanyeol’s own as Chanyeol’s hips roll up gently without a thought.

Baekhyun shudders as he presses down, making Chanyeol gasp as his lips break away from Baekhyun’s, popping off with a wet and licentious sound before Chanyeol looks down at Baekhyun chest heaving.

Baekhyun looks back up at him with an impish smirk, lips slick and shiny red already.  “So…”  He whispers suggestively, “back to the previous question.  What do you want to do?”  He asks, and well, if Chanyeol was at a loss for words before, now he is completely stuck as he stares at Baekhyun’s glossy, spit stained and swollen lips.

“Um… well...”  He stutters.

Baekhyun laughs.  “What do you have?”  He whispers, expression curious and only mildly teasing.

Chanyeol finds he still can’t answer that question aloud, but he is fairly certain of what he has, so he moves, sliding out from under Baekhyun to retrieve it as Baekhyun chuckles softly.

Chanyeol returns from rummaging in the lower drawer of his night stand with a small array of relatively normal things, or well, the lube and the condom are pretty normal.  The last item he places on the edge of the bed is less so.

It represents his one, “I’m curious”, internet purchase, a rather non-descript, black dildo of unintimidating size.  Somehow that makes it slightly less embarrassing as Baekhyun picks it up with a curious and evaluative expression.

“Did you ever use this?”  He asks, looking it over for a couple more seconds from where he has sat up against the headboard.

Chanyeol flushes and shakes his head from where he is kneeling on the floor.  He hasn’t.  Curiosity only got him as far as ordering it.  Using it though… well he’d chickened out, plain and simple.

Baekhyun nods once, expression thoughtful before he holds the dildo out for Chanyeol to take.  “Go wash it.” He commands, making Chanyeol jump even as his hand instinctively reaches out to take the dildo from Baekhyun’s grasp.

“What?”  Chanyeol’s asks, confused.

Baekhyun laughs at his surprised expression, pressing the object into Chanyeol’s hand until his fingers curl around it.  “There's no way I'm fitting you without putting something else in there first.”  Baekhyun explains, and suddenly, Chanyeol wants to die.  His cheeks color violently as his face connects with his mattress.

“Oh my… here?” He asks, turning to look up at Baekhyun with one of his eyes as Baekhyun laughs again with a small nod.

“Of course.  Isn’t that what you want, to fuck me on your bed and fulfil all your wildest dreams?”  He asks with a smirk.

Chanyeol groans as he turns his face back into his mattress.  If he’s being honest with himself, it is what he wants.  He wants it desperately.  It just also has the potential to be more than a bit embarrassing, and he really hopes his parents will forgive him if they hear it because he’s still going to do it anyways.  He’d be a fool to turn Baekhyun down now.

Chanyeol pushes himself up from the floor without directly meeting Baekhyun’s gaze before he turns towards the door.  “I… I'll be right back.”  He says, sliding the incriminating object up the sleeve of his shirt as he moves towards the door.

“I’ll be waiting.”  Baekhyun responds, and Chanyeol can hear the smirk on Baekhyun’s face as he steps into the hallway while hoping that everyone else is already asleep.  If they see the way his pants look now, there will be no mistaking what they’re up to regardless of whether they notice the incriminating device shoved up Chanyeol’s sleeve.

Thankfully, Chanyeol encounters no one on his journey to or from the bathroom.  Even better, by the time he is pulling the door to his bedroom back open, he has managed to make his cheeks cool, repeating to himself over and over that he is a mature adult that can handle this.  In fact, he has repeated that to himself so many times that Chanyeol almost believes it.  Then he opens his bedroom door and finds Baekhyun on his bed and that tiny bit of gathered confidence is thrown out the window.

Baekhyun is clearly already naked.  Chanyeol can tell that even if there is a sheet cast over his waist while he rests with his back up against the headboard.   His knees are up and bent, spread wide, and the way one of his hands is moving makes it clear what he is doing even if Chanyeol can’t see it through the fabric of the sheet.  Baekhyun is definitely fingering himself, and when his eyes lock onto Chanyeol’s, his arm jerks, making a wanton moan pass his lips before he pauses and nods towards the door.

“You should probably shut that.”  He says, voice raspy and of a slightly off pitch, feeding the fire that has been building in Chanyeol’s gut as he steps the rest of the way into his room.

He pulls his door shut behind him and locks it without a word, watching as Baekhyun’s arm starts moving again, small winces accompanying the motions as Baekhyun’s mouth hangs open, tiny pants passing his lips.  Chanyeol resists the urge to yank the blanket off Baekhyun’s hips as he nears him, climbing onto his bed from the side instead and reaching out to grab the top of Baekhyun’s moving arm to stop his movements, curious.

“Are you okay?”  He asks, watching as Baekhyun shudders beneath the weight of his palm before he nods.

“Yeah.  It’s just been a while since I’ve done this.  It’s tight.”  He whispers, almost whimpers, which is when Chanyeol realizes that despite his grip on his bicep, Baekhyun’s hand is still moving, fucking himself shallowly as Chanyeol’s hand grips his skin.

Chanyeol blinks, surprised, and then, he moves so he can see Baekhyun’s face even as he remains seated at his side.

He releases his grip on Baekhyun’s bicep, sliding it down slowly, past the edge of the sheet he still doesn’t remove.  Baekhyun’s eyes widen, but he doesn’t say stop, and so Chanyeol continues on, hand sliding down Baekhyun’s forearm past what can only be his cock, which is hot and hard.

Baekhyun whimpers as Chanyeol’s fingers brush past it, hips bucking up gently beneath his touch, but Chanyeol presses on, reaching his destination with mild fascination as he traces the outline of Baekhyun’s hand, feeling where two of his fingers disappear past puckered, straining skin, immobile now that Chanyeol’s exploratory hand has joined the fray.

Chanyeol hears Baekhyun’s breath hitch, watching as his eyes close while his body trembles, and still Chanyeol asks, because he doesn’t know.  He doesn’t know what he is allowed to touch.

“Can I…”  Chanyeol lets his voice trail off as his fingers press at Baekhyun’s rim, making him moan as Baekhyun’s eyes stay closed.

He nods his head as his own hand moves, pulling out in a motion that is quieter than Chanyeol expects.  It should be louder, the removal of Baekhyun’s fingers from his entrance, but it’s not.  It’s a slick slide punctuated by a quiet whimper as Baekhyun gropes around under the sheet for a couple seconds before he is pressing the bottle of lube into Chanyeol’s hand.

“Add more.”  He whispers, eyes re-opening to watch as Chanyeol bobs his head nervously, pulling his hand out from under the sheet to coat his fingers before dropping it back under in response to a confirmatory nod from Baekhyun that he has applied enough.

His hand dips down uncertainly.  He can’t see what he is doing, and his previous road map has disappeared, yet, it is surprisingly easy to find his destination, fingers trailing past the bulge of Baekhyun’s sack and hyper-sensitive skin to a spot that flutters beneath the pads of his fingers, giving slightly.

Baekhyun whines, hand reaching up to clasp Chanyeol’s shoulders as he tugs him forward making it so his chin is hooked over Chanyeol’s back.

“Start with one.”  He whispers, shuddering as Chanyeol nods and adjusts, aligning his ring finger against Baekhyun’s twitching hole and pressing it in.  Baekhyun moans, shimmying when Chanyeol reaches his knuckle, unable to press his finger in anymore.

“Move it.”  He whimpers after a couple seconds, and Chanyeol swallows dryly as he nods, pumping his finger out as Baekhyun’s hands clench around his back and his head turns, lips pressing to Chanyeol’s neck as he muffles his cries into Chanyeol’s skin.

It’s amazing, feeling Baekhyun clench around his finger and writhe against him.  It’s also a departure from the norm.  It’s not usually Baekhyun who is losing control.

He clearly is now though, panting into Chanyeol’s ear for more, which startles Chanyeol.  He is afraid Baekhyun might break when he slides another finger alongside his first, but all Baekhyun does is shudder and moan, urging Chanyeol on until he starts moving his fingers again, in awe of the person pressed against him.

At some point, Baekhyun’s scrabbling hands manage to hoist Chanyeol’s shirt off his back and over his head and free arm.   His nails then scratch against Chanyeol’s skin, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough that Chanyeol knows there are probably red lines on it.

He doesn’t care.

All he cares about is Baekhyun, who is panting in his ear in a symphony of moans and quiet whines until he is insisting Chanyeol add a third finger alongside his other two.

When he does, Baekhyun cries out softly, and Chanyeol pauses halfway, uncertain as Baekhyun’s chest heaves.  “Okay?”  He whispers after a couple seconds, not sure if he should finish pressing his fingers in or pull them out instead.  Baekhyun nods once against his shoulder, eyes clenched shut.

“Fine.  Just finish.”  He gasps, and Chanyeol’s brow furrows, watching as Baekhyun’s eyes clench even tighter when his fingers reach as far as they can go, feeling the way Baekhyun’s nails dig into his shoulder blades.

It doesn’t hurt, but it seems a bit too much, and so Chanyeol stops again and waits, marveling at the tight heat that now squeezes around his three fingers, and at the person it belongs to, whose face is red and flushed, and whose eyes are glassy when he finally opens them again, maneuvering so he can see Chanyeol clearly.

“Move them Yeol.”  He whispers, and Chanyeol nods, pumping his three fingers in and out of Baekhyun at a slow and steady pace as Baekhyun shakes, moving back to cling to him like he’s the only thing anchoring Baekhyun down.

Compared to two fingers, Baekhyun is oddly quieter.

Sure, small pants and whimpers are still echoing in Chanyeol’s ear, but it’s different somehow, like Baekhyun isn’t even there as he shudders against Chanyeol’s chest.  Chanyeol pauses, turning his head to nudge against Baekhyun’s face until he looks up at Chanyeol, lips quivering and eyes slightly wet.

“What?”  Chanyeol asks quietly, watching as Baekhyun’s eyes flash before he shakes his head.

“Later.”  He whispers, reaching down to tug at Chanyeol’s hand until he slips it out.

Baekhyun moans softly when he does, and then he’s pulling back, laying down on the bed while Chanyeol remains seated beside him.

His fingers release their grip on Chanyeol’s wrist to go to the sheet’s edge, and, eyes on Chanyeol’s face, he pulls it off.

Chanyeol gasps.

It’s the first time he is seeing all of Baekhyun.

He is beautiful.

He is smaller than Chanyeol in every way, and yet, there’s no denying he is a man.  The evidence of that is plain as day in a flat chest adorned by darkened nipples that stand taut, in narrow hips with sharply defined lines, and in a cock, strung tight against his stomach, red and weeping, the sight of which has Chanyeol’s mouth watering.

He literally doesn’t know where to look.  There’s too much he wants to see, and then Baekhyun is shifting on the bed, one of his legs moving so that his knee is bent off to the side as he points to the object Chanyeol has nearly forgotten as he drank in Baekhyun’s form.

He picks up the dildo hesitantly, but Baekhyun is still nodding as Chanyeol moves between his legs, watching as Chanyeol gulps when his other leg moves and Chanyeol can see everything.

In all honestly, Chanyeol can hardly believe that the wet, puckered hole the movement reveals is where his fingers have just been.  It doesn’t look large enough to accommodate them.  It doesn’t look large enough to accommodate anything, and yet Baekhyun is reaching down to guide Chanyeol’s hand forward with a breathless whisper.

“It’ll fit.”  He murmurs, and Chanyeol just stares as it does, inch after inch of black disappearing into Baekhyun until they reach a small indent that locks it in place while Baekhyun whines and writhes beneath him.

“Deep.”  He whimpers, and Chanyeol’s gaze shifts up to Baekhyun’s face, to blown out eyes, sweaty hair, and Baekhyun beckoning him forward with disjointed waves of his hand.

He crawls over Baekhyun’s waist, straddling him as Baekhyun’s arms tangle in his hair and pull him down, kissing him hard.  His teeth bite a Chanyeol’s lips, tugging on them until they swell, becoming hot and mildly sore before Baekhyun runs his tongue over them soothingly.

Chanyeol moans at the contact, shuddering as he lets more of his weight press down onto Baekhyun, encouraged by Baekhyun’s legs wrapping around his hips.  Baekhyun eventually crosses his ankles behind Chanyeol’s back and pulls, grinding himself up against Chanyeol as he finally releases Chanyeol’s mouth, kissing down his neck instead, small bites and nips interspersed with moans.

Chanyeol chases after him to keep Baekhyun quiet, swallowing up the sound of his moans as he abuses Baekhyun’s lips and rocks against his cock, the hardened ridge of his own manhood colliding with Baekhyun’s own in a blinding flash of pleasure that has Chanyeol rutting down against Baekhyun in seconds.

He hadn’t realized how aroused he was until right then.  Now that he has, it’s all that Chanyeol can think about, if he is thinking at all as he grinds against Baekhyun’s waist, drawing a sob from Baekhyun beneath him as he breaks off their kiss again, panting and gasping as he tugs at Chanyeol’s hair.  “Roll me over and take it out.”  He finally says when he has Chanyeol’s attention.

Chanyeol trembles as he stares down at him, body saying that the last thing he wants to do right now is move away, but Baekhyun’s legs are already falling from his hips as he tries to rotate beneath him, so Chanyeol pulls back, going to his knees as his hands guide Baekhyun onto his stomach.

Once there, Baekhyun slowly presses back, rising to his knees as his face remains firmly pressed into a pillow Chanyeol didn’t even see him grab.

The motion puts his ass on display, revealing the stretched ring of his rim at a new angle that makes it so Chanyeol can see the shiny slick of the lube that has been applied there, and while Chanyeol is fairly certain there was a next step he was supposed to perform once he got Baekhyun flipped over, he forgets it, watching as the small black dildo buried deep moves all on its own in response to the flex of Baekhyun’s core.

It’s… amazing.  Baekhyun is amazing, and Chanyeol honestly doesn’t know how long he’s been staring before Baekhyun is turning his head as far as it can go to look back at him.  “Chanyeol,” he whines, hips shifting in the air, making Chanyeol gasp at the sound of his voice and the lewd motion of his hips before one of his hands reaches back awkwardly to pull at the dildo Chanyeol has still yet to remove.

He has managed to pull it out halfway when Chanyeol stops him.  Baekhyun stares back at him as he lets his hand fall away, offering up a nod Chanyeol is fairly certain means that Chanyeol can finish what Baekhyun started.

He doesn’t.

Instead, he presses the dildo back in, watching as Baekhyun gasps, hands clutching at the pillow in front of him before Chanyeol pauses when it is pressed back in all the way.  Baekhyun whimpers then, hips rotating side to side as he looks back to find Chanyeol’s face again.  “Yeol.”  He whines, hips pressing back in another plea.

Chanyeol moves his free hand, catching the flesh of Baekhyun’s ass in his grasp and squeezes, watching as Baekhyun shakes beneath his touch, mesmerized.  “Sorry, just… for a minute.”  He whispers, waiting for Baekhyun to nod before he pulls the dildo back again, watching the way Baekhyun slides past it, the sound wet and slick, before he presses it in again, finding some resistance as he reaches the end of the insertable length, which Chanyeol is certain doesn’t go as far as him.

It’s not as wide either, and while Chanyeol doesn’t really have anything longer he can press into Baekhyun, he does have ways to stretch him wider.  He wonders if he should, glancing down at Baekhyun in a moment of hesitation as one of his fingers raises up to press against the stretched ring of muscle that is Baekhyun’s rim.

It gives beneath his finger as Chanyeol prods, and Baekhyun, who has turned his head again, wordlessly nods, seemingly beyond speech with eyes that are so dilated they look nearly black.  Chanyeol nods back as he lets the tip of his finger slip in, watching as Baekhyun’s rim stretches to accommodate it.

Baekhyun whimpers at the pull, but he doesn’t say stop, and so, Chanyeol presses his finger forward instead.

Baekhyun screams.

Chanyeol lunges forward on pure instinct, free hand pressing against Baekhyun’s mouth before he looks towards the door.  “Baek, you have to be quieter than that.”  He says after a couple seconds, relieved to hear no sounds of movement echoing through the house.  Beneath him, Baekhyun shakes his head beneath Chanyeol’s hand, dislodging it so he can speak while staring up as Chanyeol accusingly.

“Then stop—teasing—me.”  He pants, hips pressing back against Chanyeol’s finger that is still buried deep.

“I wasn’t trying to—“ Chanyeol’s protest cuts off as Baekhyun leans forward to nip his hand, biting it gently as he continues to fuck himself against Chanyeol’s finger and the dildo alongside it.  When he releases his bite, Chanyeol is silent after a single word, staring down at Baekhyun’s dark, blown out eyes as he lets his finger move to meet the backwards thrust of Baekhyun’s hips.

“Baek?”  He murmurs.

Baekhyun moans as he pushes back on Chanyeol’s finger again before his eyes lock on to Chanyeol’s own.

“Fuck me.”

Chanyeol nods his head.

Truly there is nothing he’d rather do more.

He pulls out his finger and moves back behind Baekhyun’s waist, pulling off the rest of his own clothes before settling his hand on his Baekhyun’s hip as he leans forward and kisses down his spine.  His other hand reaches down to pull out the dildo for good, and Baekhyun lets out a low moan as it departs, head turning to the side to whisper into the air.

“Condom.”  He groans, and Chanyeol draws back looking around to find the aforementioned object, finally spotting it dangling over the edge of the bed.

He reaches out for it as his hand moves from Baekhyun’s waist to his ass, massaging against his skin before it retracts so that he can follow Baekhyun’s most recent, whispered command, sliding the condom down his length as he lets out a low hiss that draws Baekhyun’s gaze back to him.

His eyes widen as he catches sight of Chanyeol’s cock before he whines, widening his stance on the bed.  “Chanyeol,” he whimpers, and Chanyeol groans, hands going back to curl around Baekhyun’s waist as he kneels behind him, eyes watching as he lines himself up, pressing against Baekhyun’s rim, but not pushing in.

Really, as much as he wants it, is this a good idea?  Is it really going to fit?  And if it does, is Baekhyun going to be in any way quiet enough that the whole house doesn’t know what they’re doing?

Beneath him Baekhyun moves, trying to push back, but failing as Chanyeol’s hands hold him in place, which leads to one of Baekhyun’s hands flailing backwards wildly until it connects with Chanyeol’s thigh.  “Yeol.”  He complains, and Chanyeol starts before he nods to himself.

It doesn’t matter.  He’s gone way too far to stop now.

Chanyeol presses forward slowly, breaching Baekhyun’s entrance and finding himself immediately engulfed in mind numbing heat.

He presses forward farther and it’s like the air in his lungs is being stolen from him as he gasps.

Everything is tight, and hot, and wet and just... Baekhyun, whose hands have pulled at the sheet on Chanyeol’s bed so hard that it has come off and is balled in his fists as he bites the pillow in front of him.

Chanyeol wonders if he should stop, but he finds that he can’t, pressing forward until his hips hit Baekhyun’s ass and then, because it’s just not enough, he goes deeper, pulling Baekhyun’s hips back so he is tight against him.  They literally can get no closer, not like this, and beneath him, Baekhyun’s mouth pops off his pillow as he pants, a sob like sound passing his lips, but no words.

“Tight.”  Chanyeol moans in response, the word gravely and somewhat garbled.

In some ways, Chanyeol is surprised the word is even as coherent as it is.  He doesn’t feel coherent.

He feels like all his coherency, all his sanity, is slipping away to be replaced by a burning, mind numbing need even as Baekhyun lets out a breathless, laugh like sound beneath him.

“Told you.”  He pants in between breaths before he swivels his hips once experimentally as he whimpers.  “So big.”  He whines, and Chanyeol’s fingers grip his hips tighter as he feels himself bulge, Baekhyun’s breathless, tear stained voice going straight to his cock.

“Baek.”  He moans, hips drawing back slightly before pressing back in.

Baekhyun moans softly into his pillow in approval.

“Baekhyun.”  Chanyeol repeats, pulling back further.  This time he pulls Baekhyun towards him as he thrusts back in, drawing Baekhyun down his cock at the same time, and Baekhyun moans even louder before the sound is muffled by him biting onto his pillow, ensnaring it in his teeth.

Chanyeol pulls back again, farther, as far as he thinks he should go, and then thrusts forward, hard, looking down to watch as Baekhyun swallows him back up in an instant, surrounding him in tight, fluttering heat.

Despite his teeth still firmly clamped around Chanyeol’s pillow, Chanyeol hears Baekhyun’s scream, but he no longer cares who else hears it.  He just wants to hear it.  Again and again and again.

\---

Chanyeol’s thrusts into Baekhyun are hard and fast and deep.

They rip away Baekhyun’s coherent thought and turn him into a mass of quivering flesh and burning desire.  Earlier, he’d had a flash of panic, a moment when his mind had remembered what it had felt like to realize he couldn’t breathe as a hand wrapped around his neck, but not a single panicked thought enters his mind now.

It is Chanyeol behind him.

It is Chanyeol panting epithets of “hot” and “tight” as his moans become guttural and deep, a somewhat primal sound that Baekhyun likes more than he probably should because he likes making Chanyeol lose control.

He likes that Chanyeol isn’t treating him like glass.

He likes just that little bit of roughness that has one of Chanyeol’s hands reaching out to pull at his hair, forcing his head up from where it was buried in Chanyeol’s pillow as he speaks in a voice that is nearly a snarl.

“Scream.”

And Baekhyun does scream, more times than he probably should as the slight change in angle caused by Chanyeol pulling his head back sends Chanyeol from sliding past his prostate to slamming into it, pushing him into an orgasm for which he is completely unprepared.

Even in his wildest fantasies, Baekhyun had never thought he would be the one to come first.

He does now though, streams of come painting Chanyeol’s sheets beneath him as his body shakes, squeezing around Chanyeol tight as Chanyeol freezes, no doubt realizing what has happened and wondering what he is supposed to do now.  Baekhyun doesn’t really have much of an idea either at first.

He already feels spent, exhausted and worn out, and now that he isn’t so tightly strung, his knees feel creaky and his ass feels sore.  Honestly, he is fucking done, and he knows it.  His body isn’t cut out to take more of what Chanyeol has been dishing out so far, but the fact remains that Chanyeol isn’t done, and Baekhyun doesn’t want him to finish outside of him.  He wants to feel it.  Just perhaps not quite like this.

Baekhyun lets one of his hands grope back to press at Chanyeol’s hip.  “Pull out.”  He whispers, soft pants transitioning into a moan as Chanyeol withdraws completely, leaving him empty and stretched.  Bereft.

It’s a feeling Baekhyun doesn’t appreciate and doesn’t intend to experience for long as he lets himself collapse onto the mattress before rolling over to look up at Chanyeol.

His eyes are wide and blown out and his chest is heaving as he looks down at Baekhyun’s face, uncertainty that had been blotted out by desire clearly returned.  Despite himself, Baekhyun smiles as he spreads his legs wide and lowers a hand down, framing his entrance with two fingers as Chanyeol lets out a soft whimper-like moan.

“Come back.”  Baekhyun murmurs, eyes closing after Chanyeol nods his head, crawling forward and positioning himself quietly before Baekhyun reopens his eyes and nods.

Chanyeol pushes in.

Baekhyun can’t keep a choked cry from passing his lips as it happens, but it doesn’t really hurt.  It’s just a dull ache resonating through over-sensitive insides.  Chanyeol pauses pressed in deep when Baekhyun draws him into a kiss that is familiar and sensual.  His hands wrap around Chanyeol’s back and soon, his lips are at Chanyeol’s ear.

“Go slow.”

It’s the only whispered command Chanyeol needs, hips drawing back before thrusting forward gently, the movement belonging to an entirely different category in comparison to his earlier frenzied pace.  That was rough and fierce, an unquenchable and fiery passion that makes Baekhyun shudder when he thinks about it, but this, this is passionate too.  It’s just the much more slowly burning kind that sort of makes Baekhyun want to cry.

Baekhyun has always liked slightly rough sex.  It has never occurred to him that the reason why might have been because the alternative was more than his mind was willing to handle, but as Chanyeol chants Baekhyun’s name like a prayer in time with painfully soft thrusts that make Baekhyun wonder if they’ll be at this for hours before he comes, it does.

Chanyeol’s softly whispered words and gentle touch are making his chest uncomfortably tight, and his heart feels like it might explode, and somehow, despite the fact that Baekhyun can attest to having a refractory time that isn’t the shortest in the world, he can feel himself getting hard again, which makes no sense.

Above him, Chanyeol notices.

Baekhyun can tell he notices because he starts kissing around Baekhyun’s face and neck as one of his hands drops down, curling around Baekhyun’s cock, making him whimper as he strokes it back to fully erect in movements no more hurried than his thrusts down below until, finally, finally, Chanyeol jerks, a muted gasp passing his lips as Baekhyun feels the pulse and ripple of his cock inside of him, pressed deep.

It’s a sensation that, coupled with another pull of Chanyeol’s fist against his cock, sends Baekhyun into his second orgasm of the evening, a gasping sob pushing past his lips as the nearly dry release overwhelms his mind.

It will be the second time in his life Baekhyun has passed out during sex.

It is a thousand times better than the first.

\---

Chanyeol doesn’t quite know what to do when he realizes Baekhyun is no longer conscious beneath him.  He pulls out of course, and ties off and throws away the well-used condom on his dick, but after that, he is a bit stuck.

Is Baekhyun okay?

Should he try to wake him up?

He needs to change the sheets on the bed, and they both could use a bath, but should he move Baekhyun at all?

Chanyeol isn’t entirely sure, but he can tell that Baekhyun is breathing, and his heart rate seems to be regulating correctly, so he decides that maybe for now, the best plan is to let him sleep while he cleans up what he can.

He carefully leans forward to scoop Baekhyun up from the bed, trying to jostle him as little as possible while he moves to the futon his mom set up on the floor earlier, laughing silently to himself.  If only she knew this was what it would be used for.

Chanyeol kicks the top blanket back with his foot before kneeling down to deposit Baekhyun on the mattress and pull the blanket back over him.  Baekhyun shifts slightly in response, letting out a sigh, but he doesn’t wake up, and Chanyeol smiles to himself as he kisses Baekhyun’s brow before turning back to his bed.

It’s a disaster.

Baekhyun tore the bottom sheet off the mattress and covered it in come, and the top sheet isn’t in much better shape.  Chanyeol is grateful Baekhyun had the forethought to at least throw the duvet far away.  Cleaning that would be something Chanyeol would never have been able to accomplish within the confines of his own home, but the sheets he can manage, pulling them off his bed along with Baekhyun’s spit dampened pillowcase. 

He takes them downstairs to throw into the combo washing machine and dryer, hitting the cycle that will have the sheets dried and stowed away by morning, so long as Chanyeol remembers to wake up and come back downstairs to pull them out.

He grabs another sheet set on his way back to his bedroom, and has nearly gotten them neatly arranged on his bed when a soft moan distracts him from his task.

Chanyeol turns away from his bed to see Baekhyun stirring where he lays on the floor, eyes still closed as one of his hands gropes aimlessly beside him.  “Chanyeol,” he whispers, voice raspy and soft, and in an instant, Chanyeol is there, taking up Baekhyun’s hand in his grasp, squeezing it gently as Baekhyun opens his eyes.

“Hey,” he whispers, unable to keep a smile from his face as Baekhyun blinks blearily up at him for a couple seconds before he smiles back.

“Hey,” He whispers, making Chanyeol smile wider as his hand reaches out to stroke Baekhyun’s face.

“Do you want a shower?”  Chanyeol asks, noting the way Baekhyun’s eyes flutter as Chanyeol’s’ fingers glide down his cheek.

Baekhyun nods his head.  “That’d be nice.”  He murmurs, eyes falling closed as he lets out a soft sigh, not making any indication that he intends to move to accomplish Chanyeol’s proposal.

“Do I need to carry you there?”  Chanyeol asks after a couple seconds, already certain of the answer before Baekhyun nods his head again.

“That’d be nice.”

Chanyeol smiles softly as he releases his grip on Baekhyun’s hand so that he can pull back his blanket and maneuver his arms beneath his shoulders and legs.

“Okay then,” He murmurs, standing up with a quiet grunt as Baekhyun curls against him, another soft, contented sigh passing his lips as Chanyeol steps out of his room, counting on the fact that he ran into no one during his journey with the sheets to mean that he will encounter no one as he carries a naked Baekhyun a couple of paces down the hall.

\---

Baekhyun is almost zombie-like in the shower, letting Chanyeol do everything as he leans against him or the wall.

It freaks Chanyeol out a bit to be entirely honest.

Baekhyun isn’t supposed to be this submissive.  He isn’t supposed to follow every one of Chanyeol’s softly spoken commands, be it “Stand here,” or “Let me wash your hair,” but he does.  He mechanically follows ever order that passes Chanyeol’s lips until Chanyeol has carried him back to his bed and starts looking for clothes for Baekhyun to wear.

He protests then, arguing that he doesn’t want to wear them, but Chanyeol insists.  He doesn’t know if his mom might pop in on them in the morning or not, and in short order, Baekhyun relents, startling Chanyeol.  It’s the first time he’s won an argument, even a minor one, so quickly.

He mulls that over in his mind as he quickly puts Baekhyun into one of the smallest t-shirts he owns and a pair of boxers Chanyeol thinks might have somehow survived in his dresser since middle school, finally asking Baekhyun a question as they lay down together, Baekhyun balanced against Chanyeol’s chest.

“Baek are you alright?  You seem a bit weird.”  He whispers, fingers reaching up brush damp hair off the side of Baekhyun’s cheek.

On top of him, Baekhyun stiffens before he laughs, startling Chanyeol as he turns and presses his lips to his chest.  “I’m fine Yeol.”  He whispers.  “I love you and everything is fine.”  He continues, a hand reaching up to clutch around Chanyeol’s shoulder as he trembles against his chest.

It takes a couple seconds for Chanyeol to realize Baekhyun is crying.

“You’re not fine.”  He whispers softly, letting his hand run up and down Baekhyun’s back as he waits, hoping Baekhyun will offer him a better explanation soon because feeling Baekhyun cry against his chest makes Chanyeol feel like he wants to cry too.

Finally, Baekhyun nods his head as the tremors stop, a loud sniff shattering the silence of the bedroom as he pushes back slightly to look down at Chanyeol’s face.

Chanyeol looks up at him expectantly, waiting.

Baekhyun sighs and leans up, lips pressing to Chanyeol’s in the barest of pecks.  “Thank you,” he whispers as he pulls back, surprising Chanyeol as his fingers still against Baekhyun’s back.

“For what?”  He asks.

Baekhyun smiles and leans down to kiss Chanyeol again, pulling away as he reaches up to brush the streaks of tears off his face.  “For staying with me that morning.  For bringing me here.  For loving me like this.  No one… no one else has loved me like this.”  He whispers, a hand reaching down to clench the fabric of Chanyeol’s shirt above his heart.

Chanyeol’s stares back up at Baekhyun, uncertain of what to say.  Finally, he reaches down to pull Baekhyun’s hand away from his shirt, entangling their fingers as he says the only thing he can think of.  “They should have Baek.  They should have.”

Baekhyun laughs sadly as he lets Chanyeol draw him back down towards his chest.  “They didn’t.”  He whispers, and Chanyeol sighs, grip tightening around Baekhyun’s waist.

“Well, I will from now on.”  He murmurs, and to Chanyeol’s surprise, Baekhyun nods his head, voice soft as he responds.

“I know, so thank you.”  He whispers, lips pressing to Chanyeol’s chest again.  “Thank you.”

Chanyeol leans forward to kiss Baekhyun’s hair as he shakes his head.  “No, thank you for letting me be the one to do it.”  He whispers, making Baekhyun laugh softly as he snuggles into Chanyeol’s chest before a yawn passes his lips.

“You’re welcome.”

Chanyeol smiles as he kisses Baekhyun’s hair again, relieved Baekhyun is back to himself before he falls asleep with an unspoken promise on his mind.

I can’t swear that I’ll be here for the rest of your life, but I swear I’ll love you for the rest of mine.

The words are from a song one of Chanyeol’s married coworkers loves, and now, Chanyeol finally understands why.

They capture everything Chanyeol can promise, because he intends to love Baekhyun until his heart stops, whenever that may be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lyrics are from Trace Adkins “The Rest of Mine.”  It’s a sweet song, but very country so if you search it, just be prepared for the guitar twangs, violins, and a deep country singing voice.


	4. Chapter 4

Baekhyun wakes up the next morning curled around Chanyeol’s side.  He vaguely remembers Chanyeol getting up at some point during the night and then returning, which explains the change in position.  He smiles as he closes his eyes and takes a minute to bask in Chanyeol’s scent before he reopens his eyes with a sigh.

He should get out of bed.  It’s going to take him a while to adjust.

Sure enough, Baekhyun feels stiff and sore as he rolls away from Chanyeol’s side and stretches on the bed, and he groans as he rolls off the mattress and onto the floor, settling unsteadily on his feet.

He needs to find some pants, and then, pain reliever.  It may not make it so his walking is painless, but it will definitely help.

He manages to find a pair of sweats in one of Chanyeol’s drawers that kind of fit, which explains why they were probably left behind in the first place.  If Baekhyun only needs to roll the waistband once to get the pants to his ankles, there is no way they fit Chanyeol properly anymore.

He then pads over to the upstairs bathroom in his newly acquired black sweats, finding the Tylenol he desperately needs nestled in the bathroom cabinet.  He takes two before returning the bottle to its place and heading towards the stairs.   He might as well get down them now when no one is there to watch.

The journey goes better than expected, and by the time he’s reached the kitchen, Baekhyun’s gait isn’t exactly normal, but it’s smooth enough that he isn’t blushing up a storm as he realizes Chanyeol’s mom is already hard at work making breakfast for everyone.  She catches sight of Baekhyun as she turns towards the sink to set down a dirty plate, smile wide as she waves a hand towards him encouragingly.

“Good morning.  Breakfast will still be a while, but I can fix you something to drink if you like.”

Baekhyun hesitates in the doorway uncertainly.  “Oh, I’m fine.  I don’t want—“

“Oh, don’t be shy.  Surely, you’d like something.  Perhaps tea?  You’re voice sounds a bit hoarse.”  Mrs. Park responds, smile on her face never wavering even as a hint of concern that makes Baekhyun blush dips into her tone while Baekhyun imagines how Mrs. Park might feel to realize the cause of his hoarse voice was her son sleeping soundly upstairs.

Baekhyun shakes the thought and the flush of his cheeks away with a nod of his head.  “Tea would be nice.”  He murmurs.  It would definitely soothe his throat, and also help settle his stomach, which seems a bit queasy, probably a combination of built up stress, barely eating the previous evening, and then taking Tylenol on nothing but water. 

Mrs. Park smiles as she turns away from the sink back towards the Keurig on the counter.   “One cup of tea coming up.”  She says, setting up a mug in place and loading a K-cup in seconds as Baekhyun watches from the doorway, trying to understand how he has reached the point of having Chanyeol’s mother prepare him a cup of tea while she smiles warmly and says, “Did you sleep well?”

Baekhyun jumps slightly at the question before he blushes, again, and nods his head, trying to regain his poker face as he directs his attention towards the kitchen walls.  “Yeah,” he murmurs, taking in various pictures of Chanyeol that adorn one section.

He grew up well, but the sight of a smiling Chanyeol in year after year of school pictures has Baekhyun morbidly wondering if pictures of himself still adorn his parents’ walls.  He is willing to be they don’t.

It’s a thought that is both upsetting and at the same time, somehow not as painful as it might once have been.  In fact, it has Baekhyun thinking that maybe he should have his brother send them to him if they still exist.  Someone should see his pictures from when he was a child, and something tells him that Mrs. Park might even hang some of them up if Baekhyun says she can.  (He’ll probably lose a few of the really awkward ones from his early teen years before he shows her though.)

Mrs. Park’s appearance at his side breaks Baekhyun from his reverie.  She presses a warm mug of tea into his hands with another smile.  “That’s good then, and be careful, it’s hot.” She says still smiling as she steps away in order to return to the rest of her breakfast prep.

Baekhyun stares down at the steaming mug of brown liquid in his hands.  Mrs. Park didn’t lie.  It is indeed hot.  He can feel the heat of it seeping into his palms through the ceramic of the mug.

He raises it up to take a small sip, trying not to burn his tongue, and pretty soon, it’s not only his hands that are warm as Mrs. Park starts to hum to herself in distinctly familiar tunes as she works.

\---

At some point, Mrs. Park asks Baekhyun to let the dog outside, which he agrees to with a nod of his head before dutifully leading Connie, the collie, through the house to the backdoor.  The back yard it leads to is small, and contained, but charming, and Baekhyun lingers on the back porch as Connie sniffs around the yard.  The sun warms his skin, and the still lingering scent of dew makes him smile.  It’s a relaxing and welcome change from the noise of city streets and the smell of city air.

Perhaps he and Chanyeol should visit more often.  It might do them both some good.

Baekhyun has been outside long enough for a slight chill to have set into his skin despite the sun when he hears the door open behind him.  He doesn’t bother with turning around to see who it is.  He already knows.  There’s only one person who wouldn’t announce themselves as they came outback.  The very same one whose arms are wrapping around Baekhyun from behind as he leans down to whisper in his ear.

“It’s still a little cold for this, don’t you think?”  Chanyeol murmurs, making Baekhyun smile as Chanyeol’s warmth envelopes him.

”I’m not cold now.”  He answers, leaning forward to set his now nearly empty mug on the ledge of the porch railing before letting his fingers reach up to curl around Chanyeol’s wrists.

“You sure?”  Chanyeol asks, shivering slightly as Baekhyun’s cooled fingers contact his skin before he pulls him closer to his chest.

Baekhyun nods before he turns his head to kiss the side of Chanyeol’s face.  “Very.”  He whispers softly as he pulls away, lips brushing Chanyeol’s ear.

Chanyeol lets out a quiet sigh in response as his chin settles on Baekhyun’s shoulder and his grip tightens.  Baekhyun isn’t truly aware of how long they stand there like that before he speaks again, voice soft.  “Is it later?”

“Huh?”  Baekhyun asks, feeling confused, and also the tiniest bit disoriented.  Chanyeol’s presence had been lulling him back to sleep, even as he stood on his feet.

“Is it later?”  Chanyeol repeats, grip loosening as he turns his head so that he can better see Baekhyun’s face.  “Yesterday… last night… you told me you’d tell me later.”  Chanyeol murmurs, hesitant eyes falling on Baekhyun’s confused ones.

Baekhyun blinks before comprehension dawns, and his eyes widen.  “You remember that?”

Chanyeol nods.  “It’s all blurring together a bit honestly but… yeah, I remember that.  What was that?”  He asks, arms squeezing around Baekhyun again as his eyes and voice become slightly pleading.

Baekhyun sighs and looks away from Chanyeol’s face back towards the slowly rising sun.  “I was hoping you’d forget about that.”  He admits, remembering the moment when he’d whispered “Later” the previous evening clearly now.  He really hadn’t wanted to explain things then, not right in the middle of it, but even now… some things will always be hard to talk about.

After a couple moments of hesitation, Chanyeol’s chin hooks back over Baekhyun’s shoulder.   “I didn’t.”  He whispers softly, making Baekhyun sigh again.

“Apparently.”  Baekhyun murmurs, a small hint of frustration entering into his voice.  Why couldn’t Chanyeol just forget things like any other normal person?

“Baekhyun?”  Chanyeol asks worriedly, grip reasserting itself.  Baekhyun shakes his head.

“It’s fine.  I’m just… there are some things that are hard to talk about you know?”  He says, turning his head back towards Chanyeol’s face with a hesitant, sad smile.  It’s not Chanyeol’s fault he remembers.  If anything, Baekhyun should give him credit for being concerned enough to ask.

Chanyeol turns to greet him.  “Is it something I should know?”  He asks softly.

Baekhyun hesitates, biting his lip until Chanyeol’s nose brushes past his mouth and it pops out with another sigh.  “Probably.”  Baekhyun admits.

Chanyeol nods his head, hair brushing past Baekhyun’s cheek as he turns to look back out over the yard.  “So?”  He asks as Baekhyun follows his lead and looks back towards where Connie has started digging a hole in order to bury a stick she has found.

“How do I put this…” Baekhyun murmurs, imagining himself as Connie, just instead of burying a stick, he’s digging one up and showing it someone who he’s not sure will like the sight.

Baekhyun shakes his head.  It’ll be fine.  Chanyeol was fine with him being a stripper.  He will be fine with this, if Baekhyun can just figure out how to say it.

Baekhyun tries to begin again.  “Before I met you I… “  Baekhyun’s voice trails off into a groan before he reaches up and squeezes Chanyeol’s arm, settling on point blank blunt.  “My taste in men really sucked.”

“Baek?”  Chanyeol asks after a couple seconds when Baekhyun doesn’t continue, still trying to decide how to follow up his first sort of complete sentence with another.

Baekhyun sighs and tightens his grip on Chanyeol’s arms before letting words flow from his lips in a low and soft stream.  Perhaps it’ll be easier if he just lets it all out at once.  “A lot of my relationships were very short, physical things, but there was one… there was one with whom it was a bit more than that, and the sex started out normal enough but… it didn’t stay that way.  Not for long.  I suppose you could say he was abusive, but I… I never saw it like that.  He was just a bit rough, and then rougher, and then…”

Baekhyun’s voice trails off as he shudders.

Chanyeol says nothing, lips pressing to the side of Baekhyun’s neck encouragingly until he speaks again.

“One day, he fucked me so hard I bled and left me passed out with fingerprints on my throat.  When I woke up… when I woke up I knew things had gone too far.  I ended it.  Somehow.”  The last word is barely audible even to Baekhyun’s own ears despite the fact that it is undeniably true.  Baekhyun doesn’t know how he ended that relationship.  He just knows that he did, somehow.

Chanyeol is silent for a long time.  A really long time.  It’s as if he has frozen with his lips pressed to the skin of Baekhyun’s neck.  Even his chest barely moves as his breathing echoes in Baekhyun’s ear.  When he finally does speak, his voice is low, borderline threatening, and his grip on Baekhyun is decidedly fierce.  “Is he gone?”

Baekhyun lets out a small, humorless laugh as he pats Chanyeol’s arms, trying to get him to relax.  “Yes.  Call it fate or what have you, but he moved away soon after I ended it, which was a blessing I suppose.  I would have struggled to turn him away if he’d kept coming back.”  Baekhyun admits quietly, shuddering again because he knows it’s true.  He would have taken him back if he kept asking.

Behind him, Chanyeol is once again silent, saying nothing until Baekhyun finally decides to prompt him for a response.

“Yeol?”

Chanyeol sighs, and then, he begins to move, surprising Baekhyun as he turns him in his grasp in order to look down at his face.  “You carry too much.”  Chanyeol whispers suddenly, hands that have gone to rest on the tops of Baekhyun’s shoulders squeezing around them as Baekhyun’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Don’t we all?”  He whispers after a couple seconds of being lost in Chanyeol’s gaze.  It isn’t so much pitying as it is inexplicably sad, and that is comforting, in a way.  Baekhyun doesn’t want pity.  He doesn’t necessarily want Chanyeol to be sad for him either, but that is far preferable to pity.

Chanyeol sighs, drawing Baekhyun forward into another hug as his arms slide down to wrap around his back. “Still you… you should let me take some of it.”  He whispers softly.

Baekhyun’s arms go around Chanyeol’s back as well, squeezing him to his chest as he turns his head to the side.  “You already have.”  He whispers, making Chanyeol stiffen against him.

“I have?”

Baekhyun nods, pushing against Chanyeol’s grasp until they are face to face again.  “Last night… that was the first time I’ve done something like that since I left him.  I’d never wanted to even try it before then, but last night… last night was perfect.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widen as one of his hands moves from Baekhyun’s back to his face, fingers trailing down his cheek gently.  “You should have told me that.”  He murmurs as Baekhyun’s eyes flutter closed, enjoying the feeling of Chanyeol’s fingertips against his skin before he cups his cheek.  “I… I had no idea what I was doing.”

Baekhyun laughs as his eyes reopen, shaking his head beneath Chanyeol’s palm.  “Yes you did.”

Chanyeol squeezes Baekhyun’s cheek.  “No I—“

“You did.”  Baekhyun insists, cutting Chanyeol off by leaning up on his toes to kiss Chanyeol’s protesting lips.  Chanyeol lets out a quiet, frustrated sounding huff as Baekhyun pulls away.

“Fine, what was I doing?”  He asks, and while it is impossible to miss the frustration in his tone, it is also hard to miss the relief that is slowly coloring his eyes.  It’s a relief Baekhyun can understand.  They’ve had arguments like this a million times before.  He expects they’ll have many million more.

He smirks as he reaches up his hands to cup Chanyeol’s own cheeks, squeezing them beneath his palms as he pulls Chanyeol down towards him.  “Loving me.”  He whispers right before Chanyeol’s lips press to his again.

Chanyeol pulls back slightly with a small gasp.  “You’re—“

Baekhyun kisses him again, thumbs stoking Chanyeol’s cheeks as he pulls back the barest of margins.  “And I’ll let you in on another secret, I think you’re still doing an excellent job of that.”

In front of him, Chanyeol lets out a small, defeated laugh before he leans back in.  “Only you.”

Baekhyun agrees.

Only you.

Only Chanyeol.

For life.


	5. Epilogue

This probably goes without saying but Chanyeol has never been to a strip club, at least, not one with men working the poles, and needless to say, the female version didn't do much for him.

Given that, he had hoped Baekhyun would at least lead him in, maybe give him a few pointers on where to sit and what to do, but as fate would have it, he was put on the afternoon shift.  That meant that by the time he was getting off, Baekhyun already needed to be in the back "dolling himself up," to quote the man himself.

Chanyeol had swallowed nervously at that declaration and then bobbed his head.  He didn't have to have Baekhyun lead him in.  He could do it himself.  Probably.

He is feeling a lot less confident of that after paying the cover charge and entering the club's somewhat dimly lit interior.  There's a dancer on the main stage in tight leather pants and no shirt with spiky silver hair executing moves that make Chanyeol blush.

He looks away, trying to find somewhere safer to place his eyes.

Finally, he settles on the bar. It looks innocent enough, and since Chanyeol has no need to be that close to the stage, he makes his way over to it, sliding onto the last stool in the corner.  It's probably the best place for him honestly.  Not only does it keep him out of the way, but it also keeps him out of earshot of any of the other patrons, something Chanyeol thinks will help keep him from doing “anything stupid" when Baekhyun is on stage, and considering Baekhyun has threatened no sex forever if he does “anything stupid,” Chanyeol would really like to avoid situations where he is tempted.  He just wants to see Baekhyun dance once or twice, and then leave.  His curiosity will be sated with that much.

Chanyeol nods to himself as he glances back towards the stage, flushing when he realizes the current dancer is now clad in even less.  He looks away as he takes a breath.  Yeah, one or two dances and then—

"First time?"

Chanyeol jumps nearly a mile high as the bartender speaks to him from behind the counter.  His hair is light brown and his face is one that makes it impossible to guess his age.  "No worries,” he continues with a wink as Chanyeol remains speechless, surprised by his accurate guess. “Your secret’s safe with me."

"But I didn't even..."  Chanyeol’s voice trails off as the bartender laughs, still smiling as he splays his hands in front of himself.

"It's not hard to tell.   Can I get you something to drink?  Ease some nerves?"  He offers, hands lowering back down, tone encouraging.

Chanyeol blinks before he speaks, tone hesitant.  “I don't really drink.”  He admits, voice low as a light heat burns his cheeks when the bartender stares back at him in wide-eyed shock for a couple of seconds before laughing again with a shake of his head.

“You come to a club with a two drink cover charge and you don't even drink?”  He asks, head tilting to the side, clearly amused.

Chanyeol shrugs his shoulders.  It’s safer than trying to explain things.  Probably.

The bartender laughs again, still shaking his head.  “You're a strange one.”  He says, taking a moment to tap his chin thoughtfully before he nods to himself.  “Yup, I’ve got it.  Just give me a sec.  I'll be sure to make it worth your while.”

He turns around as he finishes speaking, preventing Chanyeol from telling him not to bother—he won’t be there that long anyways—as the bartender works, pulling out a glass and something green before his back blocks Chanyeol’s view of his hands.

Eventually, he turns around with a glass of bubbling yellow liquid garnished with a lemon and leaves that must be the something green Chanyeol had seen before.  He sets the drink down with a flourish in front of Chanyeol, a wide smile on his face.

“Here you go, one drink as virginal as you.  When'd you figure it out by the way, if you don't mind me asking?”  He asks as he draws his hand away, startling Chanyeol who doesn’t quite know how to respond to his question or his quip.

“Figure out what?”  He finally asks, reaching for the glass and taking a sip.  It would be rude if he didn’t at this point.

The drink, whatever it is, is surprisingly tasty, a mixture of lemon and sage, or at least Chanyeol thinks the leaves are sage.  He’s about to ask if it is, and therefore hopefully redirect their current conversation, when the bartender beats him to the punch, one of his hands gesturing towards the stage.

“I mean, when did you realize you’d like to bone the guy on stage.  Oh, and while we’re on that topic, the one up there right now is off limits, just so you know.”

Chanyeol blinks in surprise before shaking his head in disbelief.  “I don’t—I have a boyfriend.”  He sputters, trying to understand how he has become cast as someone who has only recently experienced his sexual awakening.  That might have fit, once upon a time, but it hardly is accurate now, not with everything he and Baekhyun have done.

It’s the bartender’s turn to be surprised, eyes widening before he raises an eyebrow, expression suddenly critical, “And yet you’ve come to a strip club.  Odd place for a guy with a boyfriend.”  He murmurs, tone more suggestive than Chanyeol likes.  Baekhyun told him not to talk about the fact that they were together with other patrons, but surely the bartender is okay?  Right?

Chanyeol never finds out the answer to that question by himself.  Instead, he nearly jumps out of his skin as a hand lands on his shoulder.

“Is he picking on you?”  Baekhyun asks with a tinkling laugh as Chanyeol turns to look at him, surprised he didn’t hear him approach.

What he sees makes Chanyeol mouth fall open.

Baekhyun is standing there in white pants with lace up sides that look painted on, skin peeking out beneath the crisscrossing ties that run up his legs.  His shirt is slightly looser, but considering it is white mesh, it hardly leaves much to Chanyeol’s imagination, and that alone would have had Chanyeol staring, but then there’s Baekhyun’s face which is just… it looks ethereal.  White highlights are under his kohl lined eyes, glitter is seemingly accenting everything, and something pink and shiny is on his lips that Chanyeol really wants to kiss off.

“Baek—“

Chanyeol's voice dies in his throat as Baekhyun's presses a slim finger to his lips.  “Light babe, remember?”  He murmurs, a small, playful smirk on his lips.

Chanyeol's nods his head as Baekhyun pulls his hand away, swallowing dryly.  “Light.”  He murmurs as Baekhyun moves, stepping forward and sliding into the space between Chanyeol's lap and the counter as Chanyeol remains seated on his stool.  He settles in a position that has him balanced somewhat precariously against the small gap of stool between Chanyeol's legs as he gestures in the bartender’s direction.

“Right, and before I forget, Luhan, meet Chanyeol.  Chanyeol, Luhan.”

Chanyeol finds himself blushing again as he reaches out a hand to pull Baekhyun into a more comfortable position on his lap while Luhan raises an eyebrow.  “You have a boyfriend huh?”  He says, clearly amused as his eyes flick to where Chanyeol's arm has wrapped around Baekhyun's waist to hold him in place.

Chanyeol nods somewhat helplessly as Baekhyun slides a bit further up his lap, back brushing against Chanyeol's chest.  “Damn right he does.”  He says with a smile, turning his head and kissing the underside of Chanyeol's jaw, startling Chanyeol, who jumps before he relaxes as Baekhyun's lips pull away from his skin while Luhan scoffs.

“You could have warned me.”  He murmurs, making Baekhyun laugh as he turns away from the counter and starts prepping another drink.

“I came out here didn't I?”  Baekhyun calls over the counter, “and be sure to give it a kick or I'm going to fall asleep on stage.”

Luhan snorts as he turns around and sets Baekhyun's drink on the counter.  “You better not.”

Baekhyun laughs as he reaches for his glass. “Well then, hopefully your drink making skills are still up to par.”  He says, raising his drink to his lips as Chanyeol flexes his fingers against Baekhyun's waist, trying to adjust his grip so that he is touching a little less skin.

He ends up touching more as Baekhyun’s shirt hikes up around his hip, making Baekhyun shudder against him as someone calls for Luhan from down the counter.

He glances towards them with a wave before returning his attention to Baekhyun and Chanyeol, expression critical.  “Behave.  I don't want to have explain why everyone else can't get the same… benefits.”  He murmurs, eyes flicking to Chanyeol’s hand where it has curled around the bare skin of Baekhyun’s waist.

Chanyeol considers trying to move it, but given how well that went the last time, he instead holds it in place as Luhan spins away from the pair of them and heads down the counter to serve the still beckoning customer.

Baekhyun sets his glass down on the counter as he chuckles and shakes his head.  “I swear he's nice.  He's just being a grump because Xiumin is on stage.”  He whispers, nodding his head toward the silver-haired dancer who seems to be wrapping up his routine.

Chanyeol follows his gaze, voice soft.  “So they’re…” he lets his voice trail off as Baekhyun nods his head.

“Yup.  As long as I've known them.  His real name is Minseok by the way.”  He adds, taking another sip from his glass as his free hand drops down to run up and down Chanyeol’s arm, making his skin tingle.

Chanyeol tightens his grip, pulling Baekhyun a little closer to him.  “I see.”  He murmurs, face almost in Baekhyun’s hair, which seems to have been scented with something sweet, and glittered, unless Baekhyun’s hair naturally has flecks of silver in it.  (Chanyeol’s pretty sure, based on personal experience, that it does not.)

Baekhyun nods thoughtfully, arm coming to rest on Chanyeol’s own as the music in the club changes and another dancer comes out on stage.  It’s a dancer that Chanyeol recognizes even without Baekhyun’s introduction.

“And that’s Lay, or Yixing, as you know him.  I’ll be sure to introduce you to him later, but try not to mention the handcuff thing too much.  I’m pretty sure I’m still not entirely forgiven for that.”

Chanyeol laughs lightly as he watches Yixing glide down the stage.  Suddenly, Baekhyun's comments about him being a dancer make sense.  Every motion is fluid, but there's a certain unmistakable precision to it.  Yixing knows what he is doing.  Moreover, he is good at it.  Chanyeol lets his fingers drum against Baekhyun's skin as he nods his head in Yixing's direction.  “I see what you mean now.  He can dance.”

“Told you.”  Baekhyun says proudly, glancing up towards Chanyeol with a smile that becomes distinctly amused as he reaches to direct Chanyeol's gaze down towards him.  “Hey, no falling in love, remember?”  He whispers with a wink, clearly teasing.

Chanyeol laughs again and pulls Baekhyun towards him, chest pressing against Baekhyun’s back. “Like I could do that when you're out here looking like this.”  He murmurs, lips lowering down to Baekhyun's ear as he lets out a trembling laugh.

“You like it?”  He asks, turning in Chanyeol's direction, glossy lips hovering only a few inches away from Chanyeol’s mouth.

“It's nice.”  Chanyeol murmurs, fingers clenching a little tighter around Baekhyun's hip as he inches closer.

“Maybe I should wear it home.” Baekhyun whispers, the air that passes his lips as he says the words brushing against Chanyeol's mouth as he smiles.

“Maybe you should.”  He murmurs, closing the almost nonexistent gap that remains between them.

Baekhyun’s lips are slick, and that’s about all Chanyeol has time to register before Luhan is coughing from behind the bar.

“Ahem, what did I say about permissible benefits?"  He criticizes as Baekhyun pulls away from Chanyeol’s lips with an annoyed sigh.

“Spoil sport,” He mumbles, reaching for his glass and taking another sip as Chanyeol flushes and ducks his head.

Luhan laughs, shaking his head.  “You bet I am, and because I have to live up to my roll, let me also remind you that you have a job to do.  Especially since Lay is about to be busy for a while.”

Chanyeol feels Baekhyun stiffen against him in surprise.  “Oooo, he's not going to like that.”  Baekhyun says teasingly.

“He’ll be fine.”  Luhan says with a smile.

Baekhyun laughs as he begins to slide off Chanyeol’s lap.  “It’s not him I’m worried about.”  He says as his feet touch the floor.

Chanyeol’s hand, which dragged across his stomach as he went, falls away from his waist as Luhan smirks.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Oh, don’t be mistaken, I just need you to live so that I get paid for this.”  Baekhyun quips, making Luhan jump before he reaches over the counter to lightly swipe at Baekhyun’s head while he laughs.

“Get a move on brat.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  Baekhyun says dismissively, dodging Luhan’s hand before he turns to Chanyeol with a smile.  “I’ll see you later babe.”

Chanyeol nods.  “See you.”

Baekhyun nods back with a smile before he turns, hips swaying as he walks away, making Chanyeol swallow dryly.  He really wants to **_see_** Baekhyun later.  Yup. There’s no point in trying to deny that.

From behind the bar, Luhan lets out a thoughtful sounding hum, drawing Chanyeol’s attention back to him.  “Yes,” Chanyeol asks, head tilting to the side.

“How long have you been together?”  Luhan asks, expression contemplative.

Chanyeol blushes lightly.  “A couple months.  We knew each other before that though.”

Luhan nods, seemingly not surprised.  “And you’re happy?”  He asks, expression curious.

Chanyeol nods instantly.  “Extremely.”

“That’s good then.”  He says with a nod before he leans over the counter, expression darkening as he turns to whisper into Chanyeol’s ear.  “And just so we’re clear, if you hurt him, I will end you.”

Chanyeol stiffens as Luhan pulls away, an angelic smile back on his face.  “We should talk more when I get back.  I’m sure we have a lot of stories we can share.”  He says, turning away before Chanyeol can respond with anything other than a hesitant laugh.

He really hopes Baekhyun wasn’t lying when he said Luhan was nice.

 ---

Chanyeol thought he was prepared to watch Baekhyun on stage.

After seeing Baekhyun appear by his side at the bar as a vision in white he was less sure, but he figured everything would still be okay.  He had managed to watch some of Minseok's and Yixing's dancing without a problem. 

Surely he can handle Baekhyun's.  Surely he can.

He can't.

Or well, it doesn't go nearly as well as watching someone he doesn't love spin around a well-lit pole.

Baekhyun appears two dancers after Yixing vanishes, meaning Luhan has plenty of time to return to his spot behind the bar, though he is kept busy serving guests and is unable to talk to Chanyeol much.  He does manage to tap Chanyeol as Baekhyun's music hits though, granting Chanyeol a split second to prepare himself before Baekhyun is there and all that preparation is rendered null and void.

Baekhyun is still clothed in his white outfit from earlier, pants tight and mesh shirt nearly transparent under the bright lights of the stage.

Chanyeol swallows and reaches for his drink on the counter as his mouth goes dry.  Yup, he's not prepared for this, not at all, and Baekhyun… Baekhyun knows it, or at least that is what Chanyeol assumes as Baekhyun looks anywhere but towards him as his hands slide over the back of a chair that was placed on the stage when Chanyeol wasn't paying attention.

It's red faux fur with a round back and seat that are attached to a thick, black metal body Chanyeol couldn't care less about as Baekhyun's fingers splay against the red fur, running through it slowly, sensually.

It's a motion Chanyeol is familiar with, a motion he knows he has felt against his chest and stomach as Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Chanyeol's waist from behind.  He can practically feel it as Baekhyun's fingers drag up the fur, gripping it for a couple seconds before his arms push back down and Chanyeol learns the reason for the wide stable legs of the chair on the stage.  Baekhyun needs that stability in order to go over it face first, hands firmly braced against the base as his legs spread in the air.

Beside him, Chanyeol hears a low whistle as Baekhyun pauses for a couple seconds before he continues onward, ending up seated on the chair with his legs spread wide as a smattering of applause and catcalls echoes through the room.

“I didn't know he could still do that.”

“What?” Chanyeol asks, jumping slightly as he turns to see Luhan beside him, eyes wide as he watches Baekhyun on stage.  Luhan also jumps when he realizes that Chanyeol's eyes are on him, but he recovers quickly as he reaches out a hand to redirect Chanyeol's gaze.

“You should watch.  He's dancing for you.”

“He hasn’t even looked at me.”  Chanyeol protests as he allows his head to be turned.

Baekhyun's hands have started to glide up his chest as his legs open and close, making Chanyeol flush as Luhan keeps his hand pressed against Chanyeol's cheek.

“Trust me,” he murmurs, “it's for you.  He doesn't dance like this for just anybody.”

As Baekhyun slides off the chair and onto the floor, grinding against it on his knees, Chanyeol is surprised by how much he wants that to be true.

He had said he was fine with Baekhyun dancing.  He still thinks he is, sort of, because objectively speaking, Chanyeol still thinks Baekhyun has every right to be up there.

At the very least, Chanyeol has no intention to ask him to stop, but he'd be lying if he said he wanted Baekhyun dancing like this for anyone but him.

In fact, the longer it goes on, the more Chanyeol wants to pull Baekhyun off the stage and kiss him, just to stake his claim.  It's a petty thought, spurred on by ugly, childish emotions Chanyeol had thought he had long since outgrown.

He clearly hasn’t though because he definitely feels like a child being forced to share his favorite toy, the major difference being that Baekhyun isn't a toy, not at all.  He's a person, and Chanyeol constantly reminds himself of that as he tries to talk down both his surprisingly strong possessiveness and the ever present hard-on in his pants.

It helps, a little bit, but Chanyeol would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved when Luhan tapped his shoulder a little past 1:30 as Baekhyun vanished from the stage for the fifth time that evening.

“Do you want to go to the back?  He’s done for the night.”  He whispers, surprising Chanyeol before he nods and stands to follow the direction of Luhan’s hand towards a door marked staff only.

They've talked quite a bit between Baekhyun's dances, Luhan seemingly in a better mood now that he knew who Chanyeol was.

He had seemed most surprised by their conversation when Chanyeol mentioned taking Baekhyun to his parents’ the previous weekend.  His eyes had gone as wide as dinner plates before he let out a low whistle and turned towards the stage, watching as Baekhyun reemerged from the shadows for another dance.

“He loves you,” Luhan whispered softly, startling Chanyeol, who had already turned towards the stage, prepared for Luhan to push his head in that direction if he did not.

Chanyeol nodded once, watching as Baekhyun glided down the stage clad in black leather and chains that made him swallow dryly.  “I know.  I love him too.”  He whispered, slowly understanding why Baekhyun might have tried to put Yixing in handcuffs.

Chanyeol might just want to see Baekhyun in them too.

\---

Chanyeol pushes through the door to the back feeling both nervous and excited.  He wants to see Baekhyun, and at the same time, he doesn't. He's just had so many thoughts that evening.  So many childish, selfish thoughts and many other far from innocent ones and yet, Chanyeol still goes to the back to see Baekhyun because he is certain the offer is not extended to everyone.  He is certain his admission is tacit approval of his and Baekhyun's relationship and moreover, that if he doesn't take advantage of it, he will somehow fail what is in effect his final test, facing Baekhyun after knowing exactly what stripping is, in all its forms.

The back is calmer than Chanyeol anticipates.  Sure, people are bustling back and forth, and there are clothes and makeup strewn across tables, but there's a certain amount of order to the chaos.  Everyone seems to know where they want to be and what they should be doing and so no one really spares Chanyeol a glance as he picks his way across the room, making his way towards a familiar bag set atop one of the vanity tables.

He had bought Baekhyun a new shoulder bag a little over a month ago.  He'd recognize it anywhere.

He picks it up with a quiet hum before he looks around the back, eyes searching for Baekhyun in a sea of vibrant colors and half naked men.  Many seem to be getting ready to leave, and Chanyeol starts when he catches the eye of one he recognizes.

Yixing smiles back, picking his way over to Chanyeol slowly.

As he nears, the blush on his face becomes distinct and noticeable, but his voice remains impressively steady as he sticks out a hand for Chanyeol to shake.  “You must be Chanyeol.  Baek’s still getting cleaned up.”

“Oh,” Chanyeol responds lamely, uncertain what his response should be.  Yixing seems determined to pretend their first encounter has never occurred, and yet he doesn’t bother to introduce himself as he continues to speak, eyes scanning Chanyeol up and down.

“Did Luhan let you back here?”

Chanyeol nods as his fingers clench around the fabric of Baekhyun’s bag, Yixing’s scrutiny as intense as Luhan’s from earlier.  “Yeah.”  He murmurs, hoping that will set Yixing at ease.

It seems to work as Yixing blinks before he lets out a thoughtful hum.

“What?”  Chanyeol asks after a couple seconds of silence, growing slightly uncomfortable.  Others have started to notice the pair of them, eyes lingering in curious confusion.

Yixing starts slightly before shaking his head with a smile and a small laugh.  “Nothing.  You stay here.”  He says, pointing to a stool in front of the vanity.  “I’ll go see what's taking him.  Those chains are a pain but they're not so hard to get off, unlike handcuffs with a missing key.”   Yixing finishes with a small wink that has Chanyeol swallowing dryly.

“Yeah…”  He murmurs as Yixing walks away, trying not to think about Baekhyun and chains.  The visions those two words conjure are definitely not helping him keep his hard-on at bay.

 ---

Yixing is gone for a while, long enough Chanyeol starts to wonder if he’s been forgotten, but before he can stand up and start asking for help in locating Yixing or Baekhyun, Yixing returns, a wry smile on his face as he reaches to pull Chanyeol up from his spot.  “Come with me.”  He murmurs, guiding Chanyeol through the back and out into a hallway lined with several doors.

Yixing stops in front of one as Chanyeol finds his voice.

“Where—”

Yixing’s smirk causes Chanyeol’s words to die in his throat as he tests the door knob in front of them before turning to look at Chanyeol with an amused expression on his face.  “A word of advice, lock the door.”  He says, winking again as Chanyeol flushes and lets out a small startled gasp of surprise.

He doesn't manage a response before Yixing has disappeared down the hallway, leaving Chanyeol alone in front of the door.  After a couple moments of hesitation, he reaches for the handle, turning it slowly to reveal a room enveloped in darkness.

Chanyeol steps inside it as he calls out.  “Baek?”  He questions uncertainly, hoping he’ll receive a response.

A sharp inhale of breath greets Chanyeol's voice before Baekhyun speaks, voice low and tone indecipherable.  “Shut the door and lock it.”

“Baek, what is going on?”  Chanyeol responds as he pushes the door behind him closed, turning the lock moments later.

A shaky sounding breath greets the sound of the lock's turning, and then Baekhyun is speaking again, offering up no explanation for their current situation.  “The light is by the door.”

Chanyeol sighs quietly to himself, frustrated by Baekhyun’s lack of response to his question as he gropes for the switch, finding it after a couple seconds.  He flicks it up, illuminating the room and revealing Baekhyun where he stands to the side of a round top table, white pants and mesh shirt back on his body.  His feet are bare and his hair is slightly mussed from the evening's work, but it is not on any of those things that Chanyeol’s gaze lingers.

No, Chanyeol’s gaze lingers on Baekhyun’s wrists where white ribbon dangles from loosely tied knots that challenge Chanyeol’s mental control even before Baekhyun raises a single slim wrist into the air, spinning it slowly.

“What do you think?”  He asks, eyes sharp as he flicks his wrist again, letting the ribbon dance in the air between them.

“I…”  Chanyeol's voice trails off as he lets his eyes shift from Baekhyun’s wrists to his face, watching as a small, smug smirk overtakes Baekhyun’s features.  Baekhyun is enjoying messing with him.  Chanyeol is certain of it, and yet, there’s something else to it too, something that almost makes Baekhyun’s next words feel like an apology as he gestures around the room.

“Where do you want me?”  He asks, still smiling as Chanyeol flinches back in surprise before he steps forward, wrapping his fingers around the ribbon dangling from Baekhyun’s right wrist to pull Baekhyun’s hand towards his lips.

Chanyeol delicately kisses the backs of Baekhyun’s fingers and watches as he flinches, a small tremor rippling through him as he lets out a soft, surprised gasp.  He pauses with Baekhyun’s fingers pressed to his lips and waits, curious to see what Baekhyun will say.

“Chanyeol?”  He questions after a couple seconds, whispering nothing else as he looks up at Chanyeol with a face that no longer appears confident and self-assured, but uncertain.  Chanyeol nods to himself as he presses his lips to Baekhyun’s fingers again, whispering as he pulls away.

“Sit.”  He commands, pointing towards the armless, red vinyl chair Baekhyun must have brought into the room himself.  It doesn’t match the black of the round booth nested into the wall.

Baekhyun blinks once before he nods his head, stepping back until he is seated.  Chanyeol hovers above him for a couple seconds before he kneels down, reaching for the ribbons that are still tied around Baekhyun’s wrists.  As he affixes them to the metal posts that attach the base of the chair to the back, Baekhyun shifts slightly, expression curious.

“Why am I in the chair?”  He whispers, tugging gently against Chanyeol’s knots as Chanyeol pulls back to study his work.

“Because.”  Chanyeol answers as he evaluates the motion.

He doesn’t want Baekhyun to be uncomfortable.  He just wants Baekhyun’s hands out of the way, so he intentionally left enough slack that Baekhyun’s arms aren’t pinned behind him.  Instead, they dangle in the air on either side of the chair, restricted to moving a few inches forward and back, but definitely not far enough to reach anything Chanyeol hopes to touch as Baekhyun cocks his head to the side.

"Because?”  He questions as Chanyeol leans forward, letting his fingers trail up Baekhyun’s arms slowly, making Baekhyun tremble even before Chanyeol’s fingers curl around his jaw, expression critical.

“Because you think you shouldn't be.”  He challenges, watching as Baekhyun’s eyes widen as he gasps before he leans in, swallowing Baekhyun’s words as he takes advantage of Baekhyun’s open mouth in an instant.

It takes Baekhyun a moment to respond, but then he moans as Chanyeol’s tongue drags against his, turning his head to bring Chanyeol closer as his arms tug at his loosely tied restraints, making the chair jerk.  Chanyeol smiles and ups the pressure, hand tangling in Baekhyun’s hair as he presses closer, teeth dragging against Baekhyun’s bottom lip as he gasps before he leans up to recapture his mouth fully again, sucking against Baekhyun’s tongue and tracing his gums fully before he withdraws, leaving both their lips shiny, wet, and swollen as Baekhyun pants softly in front of him.

“Chanyeol.”  He whines, arms straining again.

Chanyeol looks away from Baekhyun’s eyes, gaze going towards his wrists as his head cocks to the side in question.

Baekhyun starts, blinking in surprise before minutely shaking his head.

Chanyeol nods once as he leans back in, pulling Baekhyun’s head back slightly so he can kiss along the underside of his jaw to his ear.  “You were dancing for me weren't you?”  He murmurs softly when he reaches the lobe, lips brushing against it as Baekhyun shudders in response to his words.

“Every time.”  He gasps as Chanyeol captures the piece of flesh in his teeth, nipping it gently before he lets his tongue drag across it, moving on to a spot behind Baekhyun’s ear as a small thrill rushes through him.

Baekhyun had been dancing for him.  Every single time.  For him.  It means more than Chanyeol can be bothered to put into words, instead letting the drifting of one of his hands towards Baekhyun’s chest be his approval.  He has a nipple firmly ensnared between his thumb and forefinger before he whispers into Baekhyun’s ear again.

“I watched.”

“I know.”  Baekhyun gasps as Chanyeol tweaks the nub of flesh in his grasp, dragging the fabric of Baekhyun’s shirt against it.  It stiffens as Chanyeol releases his grip in favor of drawing his fingers around it, outlining the darkened flesh as Baekhyun trembles while Chanyeol lowers his lips down to his covered collar bones, kissing wetly along them with tiny bites of his teeth.

“I didn't like it.”  He admits after a particularly hard suck that makes Baekhyun gasp again.

“I know.”  He repeats, sounding breathless as Chanyeol moves his lips lower, tongue dragging over Baekhyun’s abused nipple as his heart pounds.

“I wanted to pull you off the stage and kiss you.”  He admits, kissing a trail over to Baekhyun’s other nipple as Baekhyun whines softly and his legs shift on the chair, hips pressing up into the air.

Chanyeol smiles against his skin, eyes noting the tent in Baekhyun’s trousers with a quiet hum as he lets one of his hands lower down to squeeze the top of his thigh.  He holds Baekhyun in place as he noses lower, lips lingering against Baekhyun’s abdomen as he lets his eyes flick up towards Baekhyun’s face, waiting.

It takes a couple seconds for Baekhyun to look down, chest moving in time with the tiny pants that push past his swollen lips.  The sight makes Chanyeol’s heart stop for a second before he collects himself and speaks again.  “I wanted fuck you.”  He admits, eyes on Baekhyun’s face as he lets his hand slide up Baekhyun’s thigh.

“Right there.”

He murmurs, fingers dragging inward.

“In front of everyone.”

He unsnaps the closure at Baekhyun’s waist, fingers just barely brushing past his cock as Baekhyun’s eyes stare down at him, wide and glassy.

“That way they'd know.”  

He pulls down Baekhyun’s zipper, eyes never leaving Baekhyun’s face.

“You're mine.”

His hand connects with Baekhyun’s cock, gripping around it firmly as Baekhyun lets out a small shout, legs trembling as he presses into Chanyeol’s grasp while making the chair rattle against the floor.  Chanyeol smiles and squeezes tighter, just for an instant, appreciating the strain of the muscles in Baekhyun’s neck and the sheen of sweat on his brow before he lets go, withdrawing completely as he slowly shakes his head.

“But I didn't, no, I won't do that.”  He murmurs, leaning over to untie Baekhyun’s wrists even as a part of his own mind rages against the action, vehemently protesting that he currently has Baekhyun exactly where he wants him because Chanyeol knows he actually doesn’t, not exactly.

Baekhyun is silent as he works, waiting until both his arms are freed and Chanyeol has knelt back in front of him before he speaks, chest still heaving and voice airy.  “Why?”  He asks, fingers flexing in the air as he holds up his arms.

Chanyeol smiles and leans forward, fingers returning to the waistband of Baekhyun’s pants as Baekhyun moans and lifts his hips, arms dropping to brace against the bottom of the chair as Chanyeol works the fabric down to reveal the straining head of Baekhyun’s cock and the reddened, veiny shaft that follows.

“Because, you were dancing for me,” Chanyeol whispers, eyes taking in a sight he has still seen far too few times to consider it familiar.  Even if he had, Chanyeol doubts he would feel any less thrilled by it, fingers reaching out to tease the head of Baekhyun’s cock and watching as it flares.

“C-Chanyeol…”  Baekhyun gasps, a hand moving from the chair to grab Chanyeol’s wrist, stalling his movements as the part of Chanyeol’s mind that had objected to freeing Baekhyun’s wrists screams that this is exactly why they should have never untied them.  Baekhyun always stops Chanyeol from doing things when he’s not involved.  Always.

Chanyeol has plenty of theories as to why, but today, he is determined to win against them without cheating, adjusting Baekhyun’s grip so he can lean down and kiss his palm before he looks up at Baekhyun’s face.

His eyes are blown out with desire and yet somehow, they are still hesitant.  They still hold a hint of doubt that has Chanyeol squeezing Baekhyun’s hand as he whispers softly.  “You were dancing for me, so it's time I show you my appreciation.  Just let me.  Please.”

The last word is all but whined as Chanyeol’s lets one of his eyes drift towards Baekhyun’s cock.  Admittedly he has no idea what he’s going to do once his lips are on it, but he wants to taste it.  He wants to feel it.  He wants to know what it’s like to have Baekhyun’s cock in his mouth as he loses all control, and he’s not sure how many other ways he can ask, but he’s trying to come up with some as Baekhyun lets out a heavy sigh.

Then, suddenly, Baekhyun lets out a breathless laugh, and Chanyeol freezes in place as Baekhyun shakes off Chanyeol’s grip and moves so that his thumb is pressed against Chanyeol’s lips.

“Open,” he murmurs, thumb slipping into Chanyeol’s mouth as Chanyeol parts his lips, pressing his tongue up and around the digit as Baekhyun shudders, slowly drawing it in and out as his opposite hand moves to caress Chanyeol’s face and hair, muttering softly under his breath.

“Really, of all things to beg for,” he criticizes, thumb slipping from between Chanyeol’s lips so he can draw him forward towards his cock, releasing his grip on Chanyeol’s jaw as he hovers a hair’s breadth away.  Chanyeol looks up to see Baekhyun nod before he shudders and closes his eyes.

“No teeth.”

Chanyeol nods to himself as he leans forward, catching the head of Baekhyun’s cock between his lips.

The skin is smooth, but slightly bitter, especially at the slit, which Chanyeol’s tongue swirls past as he wraps his lips around the uppermost part of Baekhyun’s shaft, learning the shape of him one pass of his tongue at a time.

Above him, Baekhyun moans softly, hips jerking as his hand that had been caressing Chanyeol’s face goes to his hair, tugging against it as Chanyeol swirls his tongue against the head of Baekhyun’s cock again, feeling it swell between his lips before he pulls back to kiss his way down the rest of Baekhyun’s shaft.

Baekhyun’s legs widen their stance as he goes, pressing himself forward so that Chanyeol has more access as he works, tongue dragging past veined sides of hot, turgid flesh.  Baekhyun moans softly in approval, fingers twisting deeper into Chanyeol’s hair as he slowly returns to Baekhyun’s tip.

Baekhyun isn’t as big as him.  Chanyeol is sure of it, but that doesn’t mean he’s small, something Chanyeol learns as he captures Baekhyun between his lips again and presses down, going until Baekhyun is knocking against the back of his throat and almost making him gag as Chanyeol holds back a cough.

If he coughs, there will be teeth involved, of that much, he is absolutely certain.

Above him, Baekhyun’s hand in his hair relaxes its grip after a couple seconds as Baekhyun massages against his scalp, panting between bursts of words.  “You don’t—have to go—that far—just use—your hand.”

Chanyeol blinks, a few tears leaking past his eyes as Baekhyun’s words slowly register.  He swings up his hand to meet his lips, granting himself a bit of breathing room as he pulls back, the weight of Baekhyun’s cock pressing against his tongue hot and hard as he slowly finds a rhythm that has his hand and lips meeting as Baekhyun’s fingers clutch into his hair again.

His panting moans and occasional swears are music to Chanyeol’s ears, spurring him onward even as his jaw begins to ache.  He picks up his pace as Baekhyun begins to whine above him, hips pressing up as his body spasms in release, filling Chanyeol’s mouth before can even consider pulling off, not that he probably would have anyway.  It still takes him a second to recover though, nearly choking as he swallows while Baekhyun slips from between his lips.

He coughs against Baekhyun’s bare thighs once he is done, body shaking as he rests his cheek against them, watching Baekhyun’s cock begin its reversion to flaccid as above him, Baekhyun runs trembling fingers through Chanyeol’s hair.

Chanyeol isn’t entirely sure how much time has passed like that when Baekhyun’s fingers move, pressing against Chanyeol’s cheek in a direction that makes him wince.  Above him, Baekhyun lets out an affectionate laugh as his fingers transition back to his scalp.  “Stupid,” he whispers, the word holding not even an ounce of true criticism.

Chanyeol lets out an airy laugh of his own, turning beneath Baekhyun’s hand to look up at his face.  “I’ll get better.”  He murmurs, making Baekhyun smile as his fingers still against his scalp.

“You don’t need to get better.”  He says with a small, teasing laugh that makes Chanyeol’s eyes widen before he laughs back, free hand reaching up to squeeze Baekhyun’s thigh.

“But I want to.”  He murmurs, making Baekhyun chuckle softly as he shakes his head and moves his arms, reaching beneath Chanyeol’s armpits to haul him up from the floor.

Chanyeol winces as he goes, knees creaking as he learns that his recent activities are going to be protested by more than just his mouth.  In front of him, Baekhyun sighs.

“Your knees hurt too, don’t they?”  He whispers, standing up himself as he keeps one hand on Chanyeol to keep him steady while using the other to adjust his pants back up to his waist.

Chanyeol nods his head, not bothering to try to lie.  His face has already given it away.  “A little bit.”  He murmurs, watching as Baekhyun shakes his head before he looks up at Chanyeol, a small, affectionate smile on his face.

“Really, what are we going to do with you?” he asks, hands moving to slowly guide Chanyeol towards the half circle bench along the wall that encompasses half of the round top table Chanyeol can only assume is used for private performances.

Baekhyun sits first before he pulls Chanyeol down onto his lap, setting him across it so that the side of Chanyeol’s head rests against his shoulder as his legs run down the bench.

Chanyeol laughs as Baekhyun’s hand starts to stroke his hair again, humming softly.

“You could sing.  I like that.”  Chanyeol whispers after a couple seconds, eyes closing as his knees rejoice in their new position stretched out across the bench.

Baekhyun stops humming for a couple seconds before he laughs, fingers moving from Chanyeol’s hair to stroke up and down his arm as he starts to sing quietly.

_What would I do without your smart mouth?  Drawing me in and you kicking me out…_

Chanyeol doesn’t even make it to the end of the song before he falls asleep.

Baekhyun waits for a while before waking him up so that they can go home, together.

 


End file.
